My Saving Grace
by shipatfirstsight
Summary: Caroline discovers Tyler and Hayley in a compromising position, and her anger gets the best of her. Leading our favorite big, bad hybrid to have to rescue her yet again. Will their relationship become something more? Set during 4x04 and then goes off the storyline. Main paring KlausxCaroline, others are KolxBonnie, MattxRebekah, ElenaxElijah.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: So basically the plot is that Caroline catches Tyler and Hayley, and she gets bitten. And who swoops in to save her?**

**Okay so this is set during 4x04 because there was a lack of Caroline and that is not acceptable. Not sure how long this will be, but I'll try to update fast. T for safety cause I am paranoid. Italics are most likely whoever point of view it is thoughts.**

**Just a warning, Caroline is going to be a little out of character latter on in the chapter, because she's weakened from being bitten.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

This was absolutely ridiculous. Caroline was not going to let that egotistical hybrid dictate where _her _boyfriend could go. She was going to retrieve him, take him on an actual date, and hopefully take out a few hybrids along the way.

She pulled up to the Lockwood's drive, checked to make sure she looked perfect, and walked to… _wait, were those moans? Mrs. Lockwood?_

But no, she would know that voice anywhere breathing out _Hayley._

She decided to forgo knocking.

**Klaus's Mansion During The Dinner Party**

Stefan, in relative shock over the fact that there might be a cure to vampirism, almost did not notice his phone vibrating in his pocket.

Matt the screen read. "Excuse me," He addressed the siblings who were currently glaring at each other, "Hey, Matt, what's up?"

"Caroline was bit by Tyler."

Klaus, who had perked up at the sound of Caroline's name, had the phone out of Stefan's hand before Matt could finish the sentence.

"Where is she?" He bit out.

"In my truck, should I-"

"Bring her over here NOW."

He was livid to say the least. How dare that moronic pup touch _his, _but she wasn't his was she? She could be, maybe now that-

_No, no, NO! She betrayed you, or had you forgotten? But she was just remaining loyal to her friends…._

"Rebekah, Stefan, maybe we can continue this some other time when I don't have to save someone. Yet again."

"Alright. Rebekah, you need me to drive you home?" They exited the mansion just as Matt pulled into the drive. Klaus was outside and had Caroline in his arms before Matt had a chance to even unbuckle.

"I've got her, you can go now." Matt wanted to protest, but the hybrid was already inside his house, and really what could he do against the strongest immortal in the world?

The effects were worse this time, Caroline could tell; everything hurt. _Or maybe its because he got you more than once this time. And one of those times was over your heart…_

All she really knew was that Klaus' arms were a _very _nice place to be in. He was warm and he smelled so good… and why was he growling at her?

"The mutt had the audacity to scratch your face?" Oh god she hoped that was all she had said out loud. "_I will kill him." _She almost didn't catch that part, and she decided not to comment, when she felt something soft underneath her.

"There you are sweetheart," He said, offering her his wrist, "Have at it." So reminiscent of _that _night. The night she had realized he had feelings. That he wasn't just a scary monster. She bit into his wrist, _strange everyone else he either bites his wrist first or puts his blood into a container, _and it was _so _good. Better than human blood for sure. Maybe it was because it was Klaus and he was special. She pulled away reluctantly, already feeling more like herself again.

"Thank you. For saving me again. I guess since you've saved me more times than you've tried to kill me…" He shushed her by putting a finger to her lips. _Oh that did something to her… urgh. _The feelings she could normally push away, her unfortunate attraction to her friends- her?- enemy, were all bubbling to the surface, begging to come out.

"You're rambling sweetheart." She was pulled out of her inner musings by his _unfairly _sexy voice. "Now, tell me why Tyler did this to you before I go and rip out his heart."

It turned out to be fairly simple and predictable. _If he let his emotions break through, he would scare her right now. _She had gone over to break her boyfriend out, and walked in on him with that Hayley girl. Naked. In bed. And she had gotten _understandably_ upset. And attacked the girl.

Tyler had made a choice. He protected the "werewolf whore", as Caroline had taken to referring to her, over the girl he supposedly loved.

"I won't let him hurt you again, love." He said, rising to leave and take care of the nuisance.

Almost of its own violation, her hand shot out and grabbed his. "No, don't leave. I don't want to be alone." Then a thought struck her. "And, don't you want him alive? Isn't that why he's under house arrest in the first place?"

Klaus was rather _distracted_ by the feel of her hand on his arm. "I would choose you over him in a heartbeat, love. I cannot, I will not, keep him alive only for him to hurt you again."

She was shocked to say the least. She was never the first choice; she never had been. Her life, her wants, had always taken the back burner. Especially in the past year. And here this thousand year old hybrid was showing her more concern than all of her friends combined. "Why do you care so much?"

That was not a question he wanted to answer. Mostly because he didn't know. "Another time, love. For now, sleep."

She wanted to argue, but she was so tired. "You won't leave?" She scooted over, making room for him in the bed, a very clear invitation.

"I won't leave." He agreed before climbing in next to her. She moved so she was pressed up against his side, so he felt safe holding her in his arms. Maybe he could use some sleep as well…

He was woken abruptly by her screaming. He thought someone was attacking her _but why would they attack her and not me?_ But he quickly saw that no one was in the room and that she was asleep. "Caroline! Caroline, wake up love, it's just a dream, just a dream."

She woke with a sob, and quickly latched onto Klaus. She needed to hold on to someone right now, she need to know someone cared and that the nightmares weren't real.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He questioned hesitantly. _HA! The big, bad hybrid sounded almost afraid in the wake of her tears._

So she decided to trust him, and let him in. Because she wanted him to do the same.

**A/N: Okay, so I'll hopefully have the second chapter up sometime latter today, and it will be Caroline explaining her dream to Klaus.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everybody that read and reviewed! Okay, so this chapter will be Caroline's dream and then setting up her and Klaus' friendship because I want them to be friends first. And they sort of have a lot in common. Her dream will be in italics, and then after that thoughts will be in italics again.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or the characters.**

**Chapter 2**

_It was always the same dream. A constant endless loop. Except, it wasn't really a dream, it was memories, distorted and made worse than they had been in real life. They had been bad enough in reality. Really it was understandable, though, she had been tortured three times in the past year, and that was a lot of trauma. It started with Jules and Brady and them shooting her over and over again. Mocking her. "You are obviously not important enough to save". That went on for what seemed like eternity, and then the cage slowly shifted to a chain that she was chained to._

_The monster wasn't an enemy werewolf anymore. It was her father, which almost made it worse. He was supposed to love her; she had certainly taken his side against her mother many times since he had left, and even before that, and she loved him so much. He had always been the one to understand her and accept her no matter what. But this time, she was the monster he had spent decades hating. The sun, the sun she used to love, caused her so much pain for this period of the dream. It was worse than being burned in real life. But the worse part was that she could __**feel **__the hunger, and that too was worse than it had been in real life. In was gnawing at her stomach, and her throat burned for blood. It was the worst hunger she had ever experienced._

_Caroline had taken to drinking a blood bag before bed for fear she would go on a rampage when she woke up._

_And then the dream went to Alaric's classroom. He had accepted her, when her father couldn't. She had opened up to him about her darkest secret, that she had enjoyed the rush that came from draining a human. And he had punished her for it. She didn't think words could describe how incredibly painful it was to breathe in vervain; it was worse than wooden bullets and even the sun. She tried, she tried so hard not to breathe it in, but eventually she had to try to take a breath. _

_And then it went back to Jules and Brady. Over and over again every night. She was almost afraid to fall asleep at night… afraid of what new tortures her brain could concoct…._

Klaus was livid to say the least. The harm these people had brought to Caroline was awful. He would be the first to admit that he had caused his fair share of pain. But he had never hurt someone with so little cause as the people who had hurt her. He had never been so cruel in his torture methods. He wanted to rip apart these monsters. It had always amazed him over the years; humans were so caught up in his kind of monsters, when they were more damaging to their own kind.

"Thank you for listening. I know its really pathetic and all that I'm still holding on to it…"

"Caroline, you seem to forget that you are talking to the man who held a grudge against a man for a thousand years. It's not pathetic, love, it's natural. Now, your father and Alaric are both gone, so I can't do anything about them, but what about this Jules and Brady?"

She did not understand this man. He was so horrible to every one else. She couldn't understand why he cared so much. "Well, Brady tried to kidnap Elena, so Stefan killed him. And you killed Jules in the sacrifice."

"Oh, I should have made her death more painful. They can't hurt you anymore, sweetheart, and I will kill anyone else who tries to." The thought of living in a world where she did not exist _the monster that was an angel_ was something he could not deal with. She was quickly becoming his own personal light, and he wanted to spend an eternity basking in her warmth. She fascinated him to no end. She wasn't like Stefan who didn't feed from humans because he had no control. In fact, he suspected that she had amazing control. _Why then?_ "Why don't you feed from the source, love?"

Should she tell him? She wasn't sure how he would react. He hadn't exactly made it a secret that he disliked Damon. But she wanted him to trust her. She wanted him to know her. She wasn't entirely sure why, but the effects of basically being poisoned had made her realize a few things. She liked Klaus, and she was attracted to him. But it was more than that. She wanted to know him and she wanted him to know her. She felt a kinship with him in a sense. He understood what it was like to have a parent hate what you were. People had betrayed him many times in his long life, _including her. _"When Stefan first came to Mystic Falls, I was attracted to him. But he went for Elena, just like everybody always does. Then Damon came to town." She saw him tense. He could probably guess what was about to come. "He spoke to me like he cared about me, and I took him home with me. We had sex, and then he bit me. I was so scared when I woke up the next morning, all I could think of was running, but he wouldn't let me. I was a good target. I was so insecure back then, I craved attention, and any semblance of love I could get."

He knew that there was a reason he hated Damon. "_How dare he._"

"Don't do anything to him, Klaus. I got over it. I just can't do that to people knowing what it felt like."

This was why she was so amazing to Klaus. She genuinely had gotten over the pain Damon had caused her, he could tell. She was so compassionate towards those he had seen as nothing more than prey. "Fine, I won't kill him. But Damon, Tyler, and I seem to need to have a little chat on what is acceptable behavior towards you."

"I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, will I?" His pointed stare was the only response she needed. "Promise no killing?"

"If that makes you happy, love." It didn't make him happy, but he could tell he needed to be unselfish with her. Even if he was sort of doing it for her in the first place.

"It does." He was controlling himself for her. She couldn't believe Klaus was actually willing to do what she asked, just because she had asked.

"Alright, then I won't end their lives. Now, I think you should go back to sleep, werewolf venom takes a lot out of you, or so I've been told. All this will be here in the morning."

"I'm afraid to go back to sleep." She didn't want to sound weak, but she also didn't want to wake up crying again, because wasn't that showing more weakness?

"Would you like me to give you a dream?" He watched her think it over, probably weighing the pros and cons of having him in her head, before finally reaching her decision.

"I don't want to experience that again. I just want to have a good night's sleep."

Once she had fallen asleep, Klaus let himself enter her dream world. She was already envisioning Jules and Brady torturing her before he quickly changed the scenery.

Caroline, waiting for the bullet to hit her that would never come, opened her eyes to see that she appeared to be on a beach. _Oh, this is a dream. Klaus! _She spun around trying to find him. _Where is he?_ She finally spotted him, and when he saw her gaze land on him, he stepped out of the shadows.

She decided not to ask why he had not immediately made his presence known. "Where are we?" She asked instead as he motioned her to sit on the blanket that had appeared.

"Scopello, Sicily. I'll take you here in real life if you want." She smiled and nodded her head at him. Then scowled. "What's wrong?"

"I just… I'm not ready to be in another relationship. I really like you, but I need time to get over Tyler first. I just don't want you to-"

He interrupted her with a grin. "Sweetheart, I will take whatever you are willing to give me. And maybe one day you'll want a relationship of that nature with me. And I will wait for that day however long it takes."

"Well, we can try being friends for now."

They sat in silence for a while, both contemplating what this all meant, when Klaus decided to voice the question that had been nagging him for a while. "When _did_ you decide that you liked me?"

She had hoped he wouldn't ask that. It felt like a betrayal of all her friends. _Because they seem to value you so much._ "Well, when you saved me the first time I realized you weren't just the evil guy. You were capable of kindness. And the bracelet; well, it wasn't so much the bracelet as that you gave me a gift for my birthday. The girl whose boyfriend you had told to bite. And then the ball, and the dress. You seemed _normal. _And then the bar when I distracted you, you asked me things none of my boyfriends had bothered to ask. I'm sorry about that by the way, Damon told me to distract you not what they had planned. I just had to get you out of the bar though, I didn't have to talk to you." At his silence she added in a whisper, "I wanted to talk to you."

"Thank you for telling me, love. And your apology is obviously accepted. I'm glad you wanted to talk to me, though."

"Well, what about you? What made you want to save me?"

Klaus did not necessarily want to open up to her. But she had told him a lot of things tonight, which were no doubt painful for her to talk about. "Well, it was at first to gain your mother's support. I had every intention of walking into your room, putting my blood in a cup, and leaving. Then I saw the birthday cards, and I really do love birthdays, and I felt _guilty_, which I never feel. And then I saw you, and you were beautiful. I expected you to beg me to save you. You didn't. You challenged me at the moment when you needed me most. I admired you bravery. You weren't afraid of me."

Caroline woke the next day feeling more rested then she had in a very long time. She rolled over into a body. "Morning, sweetheart." _Oh, oh. _The night before, the dreams. It all rushed back to her.

"Morning. It is still morning, right?"

"Yes. But it is almost noon."

"Oh, my mom's going to be so mad!" The worried look on her face was rather adorable, but Klaus figured he should assuage her fears before she left.

"I called your mother and informed her of the events of last night; I figured she would be worried if you never came home. Speaking of, until I talk with Tyler, I think it best if you stay with me. If he was mad enough to hurt you one time, what's to stop him from doing it again?" Good, he could hide behind his want to protect her, when really he just wanted her presence near him. Well, it was a little of both he supposed.

She thought it over; he was right, Tyler had always been a little unstable. And it gave her an excuse to talk to Klaus more. "Alright."

Klaus drove her home so she could change and shower. They both found themselves very grateful that it was Saturday. When she was done and rejoined him in the living room, he decided to see if she wanted to go to a late lunch with him. To his surprise she agreed to join him at the Grill. "You sure you want to be seen with me in public?"

"I'm not going to keep in a secret. If anyone has anything to say, I would rather hear it now than have everyone find out and freak out. And I won't be ashamed that you are my friend."

Nothing could have made the hybrid happier than the words that had just poured out of the baby vampire's mouth.

They walked into the Grill, not holding hands, but their arms were touching. And it was enough for Klaus for now. She was giving him a chance.

Matt was working at the bar, and Caroline went in that direction, Klaus close behind.

He grabbed her in a hug. _You cannot kill Caroline's friend just because he touched her. You cannot kill Caroline's friend. _Maybe if he kept repeating it he wouldn't hurt the boy touching her. "Are you alright Caroline?"

"Yep, all better thanks to Klaus." Matt finally tuned to look at him.

"Thank you for helping her again."

"Oh it's not a problem. Anytime she needs me, I will be there for her." The men came to a silent understanding in that moment, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Caroline. They would protect this girl.

He led her to a table, and sat across from her. They both looked at their menus, and ordered when the waitress came back around. They talked about how the only restaurant in this town was the Grill, which could be annoying. They moved on to how the town itself was pretty small, but had a charm, before he asked about her past relationships.

"Ahh, of course you would ask that. There haven't really been many. I had a few here and there. And well, you already know about Damon, and after him there was Matt. He was upset when he found out I was, well you know, and things just didn't work out in the end. And then there was Tyler. How about you?"

"I had one girl that I courted, truly, without an ulterior motive. Tatia, the original doppelganger. Elijah also held her affections, making things tense between us for a while."

"What happened to her?" She asked as she tried to fight off the jealousy she suddenly felt.

"My mother got tired of Elijah and I fighting over a girl, so she used her blood to turn us into vampires." He could remember the confusion, of not being able to find her. His mother finally explaining that Tatia was dead.

"That's horrible! How could she, oh never mind I forgot who we were talking about. Anyone else?"

"Just affairs her and there over the centuries. They never lasted very long. I have trust issues." I was almost a quip, but they both knew he was serious.

"Noticed. And I understand." She smiled inwardly; he had only loved one girl, and that was a thousand years ago. "Why didn't you go for the other Petrovas?"

"One was enough for me. I was supposed to seduce Katerina, but Elijah fell for her and I figured I could indulge him for a while. Her and Elena were simply means to an end."

"I guess I can sort of understand where you're coming from. If I spent a thousand years working for one goal, I don't think I would care about anything but achieving that goal."

"Yeah, it was all I thought about for so long and I was driven by the need for revenge and to protect my siblings." _Whether or not they appreciate my methods._

They heard the door jingle, but neither thought anything of it, caught up in learning about each other.

"Hello brother." Caroline jumped at the voice by her side. She recognized the youngest of Klaus' siblings.

"Kol. What are you doing her?" Why, why when he was finally making progress did this nuisance have to show up?

"Rebekah called. Something about the return of the five?"

"The five?" Both brothers turned to Caroline.

Kol beat him to it. "Forgive my brother's poor manners, darling. I'm Kol, the handsome one."

Right when he was about to respond _and possibly rip out his liver_, Caroline replied, "Handsome? Who are you judging by? Klaus is much more my type." Oh that was his girl.

"Oh I like you. You're feisty." He knew his brother was just being his usual annoying self, but he couldn't help but feel jealous. "Elijah's here as well Nik."

"Alright, I'll be at the mansion shortly." _Take the hint and leave Kol._

"You're not going to invite me to join you?"

"No. We're on a date." Caroline answered before he had a chance to.

"Oh I see, I know where I'm not wanted." And with that he sauntered out the door to bother other people with his very presence.

"A date?"

"Well, you did ask me to lunch, and I was enjoying our time alone. I wanted him to leave. And friends can go on date's together." She said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

"Then I suppose I have to get the bill." _Did Klaus actually just make a joke?_

"You know it mister." _She was comfortable joking with Klaus?_

Life wasn't really turning out how she had expected it to. The lines between could and evil had blurred in the past year. Maybe Klaus wasn't as bad as everybody thought. He deserved a chance right?

**A/N: Okay, so I hope you enjoyed their little lunch date! Picture for the ocean Klaus gave her a vision of is in my profile. Next chapter will be the meeting at the mansion, explain the five to Caroline, and possibly the confrontation with Tyler (but don't hold me to that one). Until next time. **


	3. Chapter 3

**You guys are so awesome! This is the best response I've ever gotten for a story, so three chapters in less than a week is your reward!**

**I'm not going to explain the five, that sticks with the cannon elements in the show but Klaus' reaction and that of the Originals is obviously going to be different. And Conner never escaped from Klaus' mansion.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 3**

This was weird. Caroline had spent so long being afraid of the Originals and what the havoc they could wreck on Mystic Falls only a few short months ago and now here she was. Showing the youngest how to use the television. _Oh yeah, so scary._

Even Rebekah was being… well not _nice_, but civil. Which was better than death threats she supposed. Klaus and Elijah had gone somewhere to discuss what had happened since Klaus had "died", so Caroline was currently positioned on a very nice couch between Rebekah and Kol. _Because Klaus won't let me out of his protective area until he "talks" to Tyler. _She had said she would be fine on her own, that he could go talk to his siblings, and she could go to her house, but the look he gave her was enough to tell her that was not going to happen.

She had to admit, though, that it was nice to be the one that someone was concerned about for once. Normally, it was all about Elena's safety. _Thought you were over your jealousy issues. _Obviously she still had some work to do.

"So, you and my brother." Kol interrupted her musings.

"What about it?" She was not ready to explain that she was attracted to Klaus- _who wouldn't be?_- and she certainly did not want the first people she explained it to to be his siblings.

"Well, I was under the impression that you hated him." Rebekah, who had been paying attention to the TV, turned to see what Caroline would reply with to that.

"I never hated him. Well, I did when I thought he was going to kill Elena, but not after that. It was just… he was pursuing me, and he's exactly the type of guy that I like, and I was dating Tyler and I didn't want to do anything that would be cheating." Oh God. Oh God, had she just said all that out loud. Where Klaus could undoubtedly hear if he had a mind to? "But I'm not ready to be in a relationship yet!

And of course Klaus and Elijah chose that moment to walk into the living room- _more like a designated entertainment room-_ seriously, the room looked like a movie theater but with couches. _Please, please, please tell me they didn't hear. _But, judging from the smirk Klaus wasn't even trying to hide, they had heard, and Elijah confirmed it.

"It's good to know you never hated my brother Caroline. I feel comfortable revealing the history of the five to you." _Kill me. Take a stake and drive it through my heart. _

She could feel the blush staining her cheeks. "Uh, thanks, I guess." They then explained the five and the potential threat these hunters had.

Klaus was ecstatic. That she had willingly admitted to his siblings of her true feelings toward him. He understood her point of view better now. He wasn't sure if he still would have cared for her had she betrayed her boyfriend by being with him; he valued loyalty too much for that not to be an issue.

"So there's supposedly a cure?" She questioned when Elijah had finished explaining.

"That's what Alexander told Rebekah, isn't that right sister?" Caroline, though she could tell his siblings were annoyed by his presence in general, found herself warming to Kol. He was… sweet in a really weird way.

Rebekah glared at Kol, so Caroline decided to intervene before things turned ugly. "But how do you know he was telling the truth?" She had experience far to many things in the past year to take anything at face value. _Did the "Sun and Moon Curse" ring a bell?_

Smart girl; Klaus felt saddened though that she was worldly enough not trust what Alexander had told his sister. "We don't sweetheart. But if we let the five get a hold of it, whatever the weapon is, who knows what they could do? We need to get to it first."

"So what's the plan?" This was exciting; it was new. It wasn't a plan to kill the Originals or a discussion on how best to keep Elena safe. And Caroline wanted in.

"Well, we have Connor. His tattoo is a map. Rebekah knows the location of the tool we need to decipher the map, if she would be so kind as to share its location?" Klaus was not happy about Caroline wanting to be involved. It was one thing for his indestructible siblings and himself to do this, but it would be so easy for someone to end her. He knew though that the more he tried to stop her, the more she would want to be a part of it. And he had already decided to never compel her. He would keep her safe. He had to.

They discussed a course of action after Rebekah revealed the location of Alexander's body and the sword that was the key to finding whatever it was that the five were planning on using so many centuries ago. Caroline was shocked to find that the Originals were almost normal. They laughed at the bad jokes on the show they were watching, complained about the commercials, and Rebekah and her even discussed who was the hottest. Klaus did not seem happy with that course of conversation. Of course, whenever something seemed to be going right in this town is exactly when everything came crashing down.

They all heard the front door slam open and jumped into defensive positions. Klaus quickly pushed Caroline behind him. They tensed for the oncoming danger.

"I know you're here Klaus! Where is Caroline? What have you done to her?" Klaus and Caroline relaxed, but only by a little bit. It was one very worried Bonnie come to ensure her friends safety.

When one of them was about to respond, Bonnie walked into the room. "Caroline! Let her go Klaus."

"Bonnie, I'm here willingly. Klaus is making sure that I am safe." Caroline jumped in before Klaus could and before Bonnie could try giving him an aneurism. She put a hand on Klaus' arm to let him know that it was alright and steppe in front of him to face her friend.

"Safe? Safe from what? He's the most dangerous thing out there Caroline! What will Tyler think?" Klaus clenched his jaw. _How dare she imply that Caroline would be unfaithful to that mutt._

"Other way around, witch."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your precious Tyler bit your friend again because she caught him in bed with someone else, and she got a little bit angry." _And I had nothing to do with it this time, so don't even suggest that I did._

"What!" She ran up to Caroline, forgetting just who was surrounding her friend for the moment, and pulled her into a hug. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, now. Klaus saved me again." She looked back at him with a smile.

"That doesn't explain why you are still here, though." Caroline was remembering exactly why Damon had nicknamed her Judgey at this point.

"Klaus hasn't had time to talk to Tyler yet." She emphasized the talk, but Bonnie didn't seem to take the hint.

"You're going to let him kill Tyler!?" Elijah saw fit to intervene at this point because the tension in the room could be cut with a knife. That and Klaus had on his "It's time to murder a witch" face on.

"I'm sure whatever Niklaus decides to do will b completely justifiable. Kol, why don't you escort Ms. Bennett home?"

"I'll be fine Bonnie, and Klaus is really just going to talk to Tyler." Caroline jumped in. The last thing she needed was for Bonnie to run to the rest of their friends and plan a rescue mission. Or try to protect Tyler.

They all watched Kol and Bonnie exit the mansion before breathing a sigh of relief. _One down… _She only hoped that the rest of her friends didn't push Klaus' buttons as much as Bonnie had managed to do in five minutes.

Klaus, waiting for Kol's car to pull out of the driveway then headed for the door himself. "Hey, wait where are you going?" The pair barely paid attention to Elijah and Rebekah excusing themselves.

"To talk to Tyler."

It had taken a lot of convincing, but Caroline had finally managed to talk Klaus into letting her go with him. _She also may have promised to go on another date with him after this was over. _She wanted to her Tyler's explanation; she felt that she deserved it. And she feared that Klaus would lose his temper. She knew he would try to keep his promise to her, but he was extremely protective of her. Tyler didn't exactly know when to close his mouth either sometimes. Those two things combined spelled trouble.

It seemed, she couldn't be sure of course, but it seemed that he tried very hard to control his temper around her. Almost as if he was afraid of scaring her. If she could keep Tyler alive- _she was too nice for her own good sometimes- _by being there, it was a risk she was willing to take. And she wanted Klaus to realize that you didn't always have to resort to murder when you were angry.

They arrived at the Lockwood's, and Klaus flashed over to her side of the car to open the door for her. The door had already opened by this time, and Tyler had exited the house, Hayley behind him. Klaus paid them no mind, his eyes scanning Caroline's face quickly to make sure she was okay with being near Tyler, before turning to face them. "Tyler, I think its time you and I had a little chat."

Needless to say, Tyler was not thrilled at the idea of talking to Klaus. But he became more compliant after Klaus threatened to rip out Hayley's heart and force it down his throat._ He sure makes some terrifying threats when he tries. _

Klaus then proceeded to calmly- _which makes it all the more terrifying really_- inform Tyler that he was to explain exactly what had happened in the mountains to Caroline, apologize to her, and then leave with his "little whore" and never come into contact with Caroline or himself again if he wanted them both to live. All this was punctuated by Klaus' hand, which currently had a firm, hold on Tyler's heart.

_He was sort of sexy when he was threatening people…_

Tyler, Klaus' hand still in his chest, decided it would probably be best to just explain what had happened and be done with this. He had met Hayley when he left, and they were both alone and the full moon was coming. He told her what he was and why he had left, omitting of course that his family was rich and that he had a girlfriend, instead choosing to say that he was doing it for himself. Which was probably the most honest part of what he had told Hayley. After the full moon, both of them naked and in pain from the transformation, they had fallen into each other's arms. He had felt bad, of course, but it was different with Hayley. They just _fit _together in a way that him and Caroline had not.

Caroline listened to his explanation stoically. _I will not cry in front of him. _"Klaus, you can let him go now."

"Not until he apologizes, love." His voice, she hadn't noticed it before, but his voice changed when he was talking to her. Even when he was mad, she could tell he was trying to be gentle for her. She was beginning to realize just how much he actually cared for her. It was scary and flattering all at once. "Well, mate, we're waiting."

"I'm sorry for hurting you Caroline, that was never my intention."

Caroline felt the attention shift to her. This was probably one of the meanest things she would ever do but, "Apology not accepted, Tyler. How dare you? You honestly thought you could sleep with another girl, and then come back and judge me for dancing with Klaus and keeping a drawing he gave me? How pathetic are you? And then telling me you loved me to get me to sleep with you?" She turned her attention to Hayley. "I hope you're okay with a boy who only wants sex from a girl. I'll be in the car Klaus."

Klaus made sure that Tyler and Hayley were clear on what he expected, giving them twenty four hours to get out of Mystic Falls, before joining Caroline in the car. "You alright, love?"

"Yeah, actually. I've been wanting to say that to him, and it feels good to get it off my chest."

"I'm glad."

"Thank you, for defending me and getting them to leave. I don't know what I'd do if I had to see them around town all the time." _Maybe attack them again, but that hadn't worked out so well the first time. Well, except that she was seeing this tender side to Klaus and she really was actually enjoying spending time with him._

"Don't thank me love. If I had my way, they would both be dead." She tried to feel horror, disgust, or even anger at his comment, but she couldn't; she was slowly but surely coming to understand him. He protected those he cared about, and took it almost personally when they were harmed.

They fell into a comfortable silence, both reflection on the events of the day, before Caroline decided to break it. "So, where are we going for dinner?"

"Ah, yes, you promised me another date. We could go to the mansion and make something, but we'd have to deal with my siblings, or we could drive a little ways out of town and go to a restaurant. Your choice love." He knew what he was hoping for- _time alone with Caroline-_ but he knew how she valued free will, so he would let her chose.

"Hmmm… as much as I feel like I might be able to tolerate your siblings, I think I'd rather eat with just you and me." What was this girl doing to him that a few simple words could cause him so much happiness? She wanted to spend time with him. It was a new experience for the hybrid; people were either afraid of him or angry at him. Neither was conducive for time spent alone to get to know an individual.

It was a restaurant Caroline had never been to before _because she couldn't afford it. _Klaus seemed at ease though. As soon as he walked in, the hostess ignored the other patron's and took them to a relatively private table. They spent some time discussing what looked good on the menu, Klaus giving some suggestions, before placing their orders.

"So, I've been meaning to ask, why'd you let me bite you. I mean everyone else you bit your wrist or put it in a container." She didn't look at him as she was saying this. Now that she was coherent she remembered that Elena had told her that blood sharing between vampires was personal. Neither knew how personal though or what that meant.

He had hoped she would never ask that question. The answer… embarrassed him; he who always had control had let this baby vampire steal it from him before he even knew her. "I wasn't planning on letting you bite me, I just… you distracted me and I couldn't think straight. You heard about blood sharing I presume?" The conversation took a momentary pause when the waiter brought out their food. She nodded her head at his earlier observation.

"I wasn't sure about the details, though. What exactly does that entail?" _Did he only like her because she had drunk his blood?_

He could see that he would have to explain exactly what blood sharing entailed if he didn't want to scare her away for good. "It creates a bond between two vampires. Not emotions, mind you, just a bond. When they both participate, they can feel each other's emotions, or when they are in danger. When its one sided, the vampire whose blood was taken feels the bond while the person who is doing the drinking does not. It's supposed to be between two people. It's a… marking of what is yours. Once you drink from a vampire it becomes physically and mentally impossible to be with anyone else. It's a very… euphoric act. Very sexual. When the two parties are participating, it is often part of intercourse." There, that shouldn't be too bad.

She felt bad. Here he was walking around with a bond to her, and she repeatedly shot him down. Okay, it was a little weird that it was _sexual_, but still. "Well, I guess we'll have to complete the bond."

Well, he hadn't been expecting that. "Don't get me wrong, I think its sort of pervy, but I can't help it if I look gorgeous when I'm about to die and you can't control that you are still a man." _She was teasing him?_ "So, when I'm ready to be in a relationship with you, and when we get to the sleeping together part, we'll complete the bond. As long as you'll be okay till then."

"Well, I can't promise anything. You are gorgeous after all."

They enjoyed the rest of their dinner, discussing where Klaus hadn't been in the world. He regretted it immediately because the one place he hadn't been to was one she firmly believed everyone had to go to. _Who wouldn't go to Disney World if they had the chance? _She made him promise to take her since she had always wanted to go, and she thought it could be a good experience for them; bring out his inner child and all. She knew if was rather childish of _her, _but she had never been outside of Virginia. There were things she wanted to experience and this was one of them. Once she told him that, he caved. He wanted her to experience what the world had to offer. And then somehow she then talked him into inviting his siblings to come along.

"No. I want to spend time with you not my siblings. If I have to go to that children's park, it will be just you and me." He would not give into her, no matter how adorable she made her face.

"Klaus, you locked them in caskets. They deserve an apology from you, and what better way than to apologize then by taking them to the most magical place on earth?" Caroline was already envisioning Klaus with one of those Mickey hats on his head. Oh, he would never hurt any of them with that kind of blackmail.

"Fine, fine. If they want to come and ruin our privacy, they may do so. But, you are going to let me show you the rest of the world as well. Without my siblings." That seemed more than fair to Klaus. He would endure the torture of the theme park and she would get to the see the world. He just wanted to be near her; that was compensation enough for him.

He brought her home, walked her up to her front door like the gentleman she was discovering him to be, and turned to walk away before she decided to hug him. He was surprised, she could tell. It took him a while to hug her back, but it was worth it. "Goodnight, Klaus."

"Goodnight, sweetheart. May I come see you tomorrow?" He didn't know how long he could last without being in her light. The thought of it was painful, almost.

"Of course." They traded cell phone numbers quickly, and Klaus waited until she was safely inside before heading to his own home.

Caroline jumped onto her bed. What a crazy couple of days. Here she was willingly spending time with Klaus and enjoying herself. Wanting to spend more time with him.

He was incredibly sweet to her. None of her other boyfriends, well at least Matt had work as an excuse, but none of the rest had bothered to take her out on actual dates. God she was so stupid sometimes. Klaus was obviously not getting sex from her in return for treating her nicely _at least not yet_, and he still treated her better than they did. _I need to rethink my life. _She checked her phone, sent out a mass text to her other friends upon noticing that they had all texted her worrying about her-Damon was apparently questioning her sanity- letting them know that she was fine and that she was home.

She got ready for bed, when she remembered the nightmare. She had forgotten in the flurry of the day's events, but now she knew that she couldn't possibly go to sleep. Right when she was debating whether or not to call Klaus and selfishly ask him to come over, or driving over to his house, she heard a knock on the front door. There he was her dark knight.

"Would you like me to give you a dream again?"

It looked like she would get to spend another night in his embrace.

He had made it all the way home and worked through a few glasses of brandy before he remembered the events of the night before. He didn't want her to have to remember those things anymore. He didn't want her to have to experience that trauma. He raced to her house, hoping she wasn't asleep already. _He had promised to protect her. That was from everything. Even her own mind._

His heart unclenched when she opened the door, and he could tell she hadn't gone to sleep yet. It made him happy to think she needed him for something. He needed her to remind him that he had been human once, weak as it made him it also made him stronger, and she needed him to help combat her personal demons. Maybe together they could both get better.

And that was the true essence of why he liked being with her. Why he craved her presence more and more. She gave him hope.

He had spent so long alone, pushing everyone away, and she didn't seem intimidated by his walls now that they were friends-_He wanted so much more from her. Not just the physical, but the emotional as well- _the walls he had been building up for a thousand years. She showed him that he still had the humanity he thought he had lost so long ago. That he could care for someone that was not related to him. And he could tell that little by little she was letting her own walls down. They both had baggage, him substantially more, but he had been around for a while.

She made him believe that someone could love him and that he could love that person in return- of course he could only imagine loving her. It terrified him, which was not a feeling he enjoyed. He feared though, that he would let her in and fall in love with her only for her to leave, either by choice or through death.

His every instinct was screaming at him to run as fast as he could. He had never let anyone have this much power over him. But that was also what she was doing to him; he didn't want to run. He wanted this, whether the consequences were good or bad. He needed to give this a chance. He would regret it more if he didn't then if he did.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I took some liberties with the blood sharing, I admit to making that all up, or at least the majority of it. No actual research was done, that just fit the storyline. I hope you enjoyed both of their inner thoughts. I really want this to be a story of taking risks and chances, and I want them both to develop as individuals but I think that they have an amazing potential to help each other along the way. This is officially the longest chapter I have even written for a fan fiction, so sorry that it's so long, but I thought you guys deserved it cause you've been so nice to me! Thanks again for reading! Until next time….**


	4. Blood Sharing Explanation

So this isn't a chapter (so sorry!), but I wanted to clear up the blood- sharing thing for this story just so we're all on the same page, so it's pretty important. I'm really bad at explaining things, though, so if anything is unclear after this, feel free to message me and I'll do my best to clear up whatever I didn't do a good job of telling.

So first of all, it only counts as true blood sharing (again, only in this story's universe; I don't know how it will be on the show, but since I made all this up it can be any way I want) if the vampire taking the blood is the one to break skin or if there is an emotional connection between the two (cue Delena). I know Klaus gave blood to other people directly from him, but he bit his wrist first, which is very important to this story's universe. There was no emotion behind it, and almost every time, Klaus was getting something out of it. Both times with Caroline (in 3x11 and in chapter one of this story) it only stemmed from a desire to preserve her life. There became no ulterior motive behind it. Which is all very new for Klaus.

To further that point, it's a very emotional act in this story because there has to be a level of trust to allow someone to bite you as a vampire; assume that the act of letting Caroline bite him (again, twice at this point because of the show and the first chapter) took a lot of trust, more so than for the average vampire. This is Klaus we're talking about, and Klaus really doesn't trust anybody (not that he's had reason to). He's spent 1000 years staying alive because he doesn't trust people, and here this baby vampire makes him forget all of that. And that fact scares him. Add to that that she _did_ betray him, and he can't find it in him to seek revenge against her.

In regards to the one-sided bonding: its like he _has _to get to know her and he wants what's best for her, even when she keeps pushing him away. That's not attraction, though, I want to be very clear about that; he developed that on his own, even before she drank his blood. He could resent that he feels this way for her now, but he's encouraged by it. He himself thinks that he's an abomination and thought that he couldn't love another individual. That he's attracted to her has given him hope that he can feel for someone else outside of his family. It's why he's so mad at Tyler, though, because it's like he has to protect her, and that's also why he raced over to Caroline's house when he remembered her nightmares. The bond also doesn't go away over time it will just continue to grow stronger (which I look forward to writing about, because it may prove interesting, but we'll see), and his need to protect her might get a little overbearing. Of course, Caroline won't understand what he's doing because she isn't bonded to him.

I'll address a two-sided bonding when we cross that bridge, cause it could be spoilery.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading all of this and as a reward I have questions that you can message me the answers to or leave a review with answers. I can't promise anything, but I'd like to know my readers opinions in the matter.

So, first of all, I want Kol and Bonnie to be together in this story, but I don't necessary want to focus on them. I can write chapters with them on dates, but I'd prefer to write a separate set of one shots for them, starting with him taking her home. So, my question is, Kennett in this story or in their own separate fanfiction? The same goes for Rebekah and Matt.

Then, I'm not sure who to pair Elena with at all, and I don't want to put her in this story at all until I figure that out. I'm fine with Stefan, Damon, or Elijah, so just tell me your preference so I can try not to anger that many people. I would add Katherine to this story, but I don't know how long she'll last around Klaus if I do.

Look for chapter four either tomorrow or Saturday. Until then…


	5. Chapter 4

**I am literally drowning because of so much positive feedback! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this. I have a pretty good idea of where I'm taking the story at this point, but I have a feeling it might end up being really long. After this week, try to look for updates on a weekly to biweekly basis. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries because if I did it would be full of Klaroline.**

**Chapter 4**

Caroline woke up feeling more rested then she had in a very long time. That was probably the result of not having mind numbing nightmares. And Klaus' hold on her, lose as it was, was very comforting. For the first time since she became a vampire she felt safe. After all, he was the biggest, baddest thing out there.

She glanced up at him, to find that he was still sleeping. Which was weird. Logically, she knew he probably had to sleep, but it didn't really fit in with her view of him.

This was a very valuable opportunity to look at his face without being caught though. He didn't look peaceful in sleep. He looked… ready to jump up and kill anyone that walked into the room. _How much betrayal and hurt does someone have to experience to reach the point where they can't sleep without assuming someone is going to try to kill them?_

She decided she should get up and shower, but when she moved his arms tightened around her. _Guess I'm not getting up yet._ She thought about waking him, but a glance at her clock told her it was still early. So, Caroline did the smart thing and decided to enjoy the time in his arms. She drifted in that space between being awake and asleep for a while.

She was thinking of the consequences of her newfound friendship with Klaus- _although we both want more._ It was going to be complicated, to say the least, she was sure. How could she even begin to explain to her friends? They had worked for months to find a way to kill him, and here she was, accepting him in. Making room for him in her heart. She wasn't ashamed of him, she wouldn't be guilted into cutting him off, but she didn't want to lose her other friends either.

_How had she gotten so close to him in the past couple of days? _She knew that it wasn't just from theses last few days when she actually gave him a chance, though, that was causing her to know that she couldn't lose him. It was the whole of their relationship, since the night he had first saved her. A stranger who gave her a reason to live; she had been ready to die that night. She wanted to die. She was the monster stories were made of, and she was so sick of living with that everyday. Caroline Forbes was not a quitter, but death had presented itself to her, and she thought that was what she wanted. Until this man swooped in and gave her a choice and she realized that no matter how bad this life she now had may seem, she still wanted to live. It was difficult, and it had its challengers, but she had so much to see and do. He made her realize that.

And then Klaus promised to show her the world. That was so different from saying that the world was out there; he was offering, in essence, to put his life on hold to do something for her. And she had scorned him. For what he did to Elena, to Stefan, to Tyler, and what he was doing to her. Because she wanted what he was promising so bad, but she afraid that she would fall for him, because she knew that she could if she let herself, and her friends would kill him. Tyler was safer at that point; she just never imagined he would be the one to hurt her.

She almost gave in at the twenties dance. Klaus telling her she was leaving made her realize just how much she wanted him in her life and how much she wanted everything he was offering to her. His lips were so close to hers, and she almost closed the distance between them. But Tyler was there on the side watching them, and she couldn't do that to him.

Caroline could admit it now; she was afraid of her feelings for Klaus. They were more intense than anything she had ever experienced before, and she wasn't even in love with him yet. And she didn't know if he could love anyone, and that terrified her. If she fell for him to discover it was all a game it would kill her. But at the same time, her mothering nature wanted to prove to him that someone could care about him. She didn't want him to change necessarily, but she wanted to help to heal the parts of him that were broken.

She of all people understood what it was like to have a parent hate you. She understood how badly it hurt and the need after that to feel some confirmation of love from anyone. He had just had a lot longer than her to think about it.

Klaus stirred in his sleep. She looked up at him again to discover him looking at her. "Morning sleepyhead."

"Morning sweetheart. How long have you been awake?" He loosened his hold on her as her spoke, almost as though he was embarrassed at having been caught showing some kind of need for physical contact, and she found herself missing the feeling of his arms around her.

"Not that long. Thank you for the dream, I enjoyed it." He, at her asking in the dream, had shown her what Mystic Falls had been like when he was first there. It was weird to see her town so long before her time. Nothing looked the least bit like it did now.

"I'm glad. So, breakfast?" Caroline took comfort in that it seemed like he wanted to spend every moment with her; surely he wouldn't go to all this trouble if he was just using her, right?

"Yeah, just let me shower first."

After she was ready, _I only rushed a little bit, _they decided to go to his house. The threat of his siblings intruding on their time was there of course, but he promised her that his cooking skills would make up for it.

"You cook?" She asked incredulously. _Definitely not who I thought he was._

"I've had a thousand years to pick up many things, love. And cooking has always come in handy." Oh that smile that he flashed her way would be the death of her, she could tell. It made her knees go week, which was rather cliché if you asked her. And the dimples- _oh good Lord the dimples-_ they seemed reserved especially for her and they made her heart skip a beat. A fact she bet he knew from the way his smile grew. She cursed vampire hearing. For all of its advantages, it kept causing her nothing but embarrassment.

Klaus enjoyed seeing the color seep into her cheeks, _which made him long for a taste of her blood_. This was going to prove difficult. It seemed the bond itself wanted to be fulfilled on both sides. Her blood called to him. He had to resist, though, until she was ready. He would resist.

For the first time, he felt genuine sympathy for Stefan's own issues. He knew if he caused harm to this girl, the guilt could be the one thing in the world that would finally kill him. He understood how hard Stefan must have fought with his own nature not to hurt the girl he loved. _Love?_ Why was he thinking-? No, not until she knew her feelings for him. He would not admit to anything more than caring for her until that point. Then he could analyze his own feelings.

His house was not empty, as he had hoped. His three siblings were at the kitchen table, apparently all discussing what they could make without burning down the house and incurring his wrath. "Oh, stop worrying, I'm here to feed you." _Its not like you would have starved to death anyway._

Caroline helped him with the preparation of the food, which gave him a very nice opportunity to press up against her. Any touch though made him long for more. When they brought the food to the table, he was glad to find that she made an effort to sit next to him.

"So, Caroline, when are you going to go out with me?" _If he wasn't my brother he would be dead._

"Seriously, Kol? Going after your brother's girl? Do you want Nik to kill you?" Good, let Rebekah take care of him. She always seemed to know best how to deal with him. _Mostly because your idea of dealing with your siblings is daggering them, excluding the times it was for their own protection. Speaking of, I should probably still apologize to Rebekah…_

"Oh Rebekah, Caroline said she wasn't in a relationship with him." Klaus clenched his fork. _That's it, he's getting daggered. Surely Elijah and Rebekah will understand at this point…_

"I said yet, Kol." And there was his feisty girl, unconsciously saving his brother and making his heart soar.

"Well, if you change your mind." Ahh, without the jealousy to cloud his judgment, he could perceive the teasing lilt to his brother's voice.

"Hmmm, not likely. Thanks anyway." She was accepting his family. He had hoped that she would give him a chance, but he had never imagined that she could give all of them the same courtesy.

"Well, then the least you could do is give me Bonnie's number." _Kol wants the witch's phone number? He only drove her home, did she make that much of an impression?_

"She doesn't really like vampires Kol." Did he detect a hint of bitterness to her voice? He'd have to ask her about that latter.

"Well, I'd like a chance to change that." What was Mystic Falls doing to them?

"Fine, but you can't tell her I gave it to you. And if you hurt my friend…" Her trying to look threatening was rather cute. He didn't think he should tell her that.

Kol surprised him though. "I promise not to tell her who gave me her number, and I will do my best not to bring any harm to her." It was the most sincere he had ever seen his brother, and he found himself wondering yet again what had happened when Kol brought her home.

Conversation from that point turned to what everyone was going to do that day, Rebekah and Caroline discussing possibly taking a trip to the mall. _Well, here's a way to apologize to Rebekah. _He pulled his wallet out and handed his credit card to Rebekah. "Try not to spend too much you two."

He should of known he wouldn't get out of this little excursion so easily. Kol jumped on board soon after; he hadn't gone to a mall quite yet, and Elijah couldn't let Kol lose on the human populace, and Klaus was not about to be left out at that point. And that was how the Originals found themselves at the mall six hours later. Caroline, he discovered, was as bad as his sister when it came to shopping, after he convinced her that it was all right to use his money. He had spent many lifetimes building a fortune, and whatever they spent that day wouldn't put a dent into it. She was still reluctant, but really, what girl would pass up on a shopping spree.

"No strings?"

"No strings."

The girls seemed to enjoy annoying the three boys once they got in the swing of things after that. So, they decided to leave the girls to their own devices for a while and went to look for things that interested them.

Giving Rebekah a chance to ask Caroline the question that had been bothering her that she didn't want to voice in front of her brothers. "Why are you being so nice to me? I killed your friend, and almost caused the death of another one."

Caroline sighed. This was… difficult, to say the least. "I'm mad at you for what you did, don't get me wrong. But I understand why you did it. Elena and the rest of them are too angry to see things from your side. You thought your brother was dead, and Elena was the chink in Alaric's armor. I don't approve, but I can understand. And we have a lot in common."

"Oh, like what?"

"Blond, want people to like us, unfortunate relationships with Damon Salvatore." It was all true; Caroline could see a lot of herself in this girl. No she wasn't as crazy as Rebekah could be at times, but the similarities were there nonetheless.

"Well, I guess we do have a lot in common." She paused for a second as if debating if she wanted to say her next thought. "Don't hurt my brother Caroline. He really cares for you and he's being nicer to everyone because of that. If you ever hurt him though, he may break."

That should have scared her. She should back out of this all now, forget the past weekend, and move on with her Original free life. She couldn't do that, though. "I like him too Rebekah. I don't want him to be hurt, and I will do everything in my power to make sure he doesn't get hurt by me."

Klaus was pleasantly surprised when Rebekah and Caroline found them a few hours latter, laughing and talking and seeming to enjoy each other's company. He didn't know if he could be with someone who did not like his family, so it made it increasingly easier to like Caroline. She was so kindhearted; she was willing to give them, probably the most evil, abhorrent creatures to walk the earth, a chance.

Elijah and him moved to take some of their bags, of which there were many, before they walked to the car. Once they had placed all of them in the trunk, Caroline surprised him once again by giving him a quick hug. "Thank you! I had such a good time."

"Anytime sweetheart. I enjoy seeing you smile." He would endure the torture of being in the mall everyday if it brought this smile to her face.

Klaus, Kol, and Rebekah had run off once they got to the mansion to bring their bags to their rooms. Leaving her alone with the one Original she had yet to have a deep conversation yet.

"How's Elena doing with transitioning?" _Did he-? _She could tell by his face in his face that he did._ Great, our little group has the Originals going after them. What are the odds?_

"Its hard for her. I was able to accept what I was, but she can't. She's never been very good at coping with change or loss."

"And all of her emotions are worse than they were when she was a human."

"Exactly." _Hmmm, Elijah? He might actually be good for her…_

She could tell he wanted to continue the conversation, but Klaus came back at that moment. "May I take you to dinner?"

"I'd be honored."

The Grill was fairly crowded when they walked in, but they were still able to get a table fairly quickly. She enjoyed this, spending time with him wherever they happened to be. He was interesting.

But she wanted to know more about him. "So, hobbies?"

Her question surprised him, but he caught on quickly. "Drawing, painting, traveling, assorted other things. You?"

"Cheer and reading, a little singing. Favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Huh, that's mine too." They smiled at each other over this. They had something _normal_ in common with each other. "Favorite movie?"

"Now that's a hard one, love. I've seen a lot of movies in the past century. I will tell you, however, that I enjoy classics more than modern movies. Do you have a favorite?" She forgot sometimes that he had lived for so long. It was hard looking at his youthful face to remember that minor detail.

"Not one specifically. I've always like Gone With the Wind, and that's probably my favorite movie. I switch sometimes, though between that and the new Jane Eyre movie."

"You like movies based on classic books then?" He didn't sound surprised that a girl like her could enjoy those sorts of movies like everyone else she had ever told. Merely confirming what she had told him.

"Yep. They're my weakness. What type of music do you listen to?"

"A little of everything; I'm willing to give anyone a chance."

"Me too, I think there's beauty in the majority of genre's. I'll find songs I don't like, but I like to at least give them a chance." Well if that didn't mirror their relationship…

If he caught on, he didn't show it. "Favorite flower?"

"Why do you want to know?" Flowers were sort of a romantic area to travel into.

"Obviously so I can buy some for you, sweetheart." She rolled her eyes at him.

"If I had to pick, I guess sunflowers are my favorite, but I really like them all."

He should have known; someone as full of light as she was would obviously be drawn to something that resembled the sun.

And they continued back and forth, learning little details about each other, they managed to forget that he was a hybrid and she was a vampire. They were both just two people trying to get to know one another.

It felt simple; it felt right. It was the most normal Caroline had felt since she had turned. And she knew why. Klaus liked being what he was; he relished in it. But that also meant he didn't judge her based on that. Sure she was a vampire, but it didn't affect who she was in his eyes. It was… refreshing. Not to have to talk about vampire issues for once. He didn't treat her like she was about to kill all the townspeople.

He was good for her.

"What's Blondie doing with _Klaus_?" They had been so distracted by each other that they hadn't noticed the Salvatore's, Elena, Jeremy, and Bonnie come in.

"I told you Tyler bit her Friday night, and he saved her again. I don't know why she's still with him though." Stefan sounded upset; who did they think they were? She glanced at them; they all wore varying shades of anger, but Elena was _livid._

Why did this have to happen now? She was actually enjoying herself, and they had to come in and judge her.

"You alright, sweetheart?" She noticed she was clenching the table and that her knuckles had turned white.

She didn't want to tell him what was wrong where they could hear though. "I think I'm ready to go if you are."

He seemed to catch on to what she was trying to tell him. They exited the restaurant, but the group couldn't take a hint.

"What the hell Caroline?" She had never heard Elena quite this angry. "You're hanging out with _him_ after all he's done to us?"

Now she was mad. And everything she had been holding in for so long came pouring out. "What he's done? Let's talk about what you've all done to me. Damon practically raped me, and sure you were angry for a while, but you seemed to forget quickly enough once you became attracted to him. And you're the reason that I died because of **your** drama with Katherine. I needed you when I turned, Bonnie, and you only judged me. Then, you all had no qualms about using me as bait against Klaus, not knowing if your plan would work. I'm expendable to you, and I'm tired of it."

"Now, listen here, Blondie-" Damon was cut off when Klaus finally reacted to this all and grabbed him by the throat.

"You don't get to tell her what to do. The only reason you're not dead right now for what you did to her is because she asked me not to. I'm not very good at controlling my temper, though, so I'd watch what your next words are." He dropped his hold on him, and spun back to Caroline. "You ready to go love?"

"Yes, just take me home please." She didn't look at them, she couldn't. It was petty of her to be holding a grudge this long after the fact, but none of them had ever apologized. They had all made her feel unwanted. She was realizing, being with Klaus, that she was important and the way that they treated her wasn't right. She loved them but she was tired of living like this. And she certainly didn't need their approval of who she could be a friend with.

They got to her house, and he collected her bags from the earlier shopping trip to bring in, when a thought crossed her mind. "Could we go to your house? They might come here, and I really don't want to talk to them."

"Of course. Grab what you need for the night, and I can drive you to school tomorrow." Whatever she needed to be comfortable, happy, he would do for her.

"Uhhhhh, I forgot about school." She said as they moved through the house to her bedroom.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to." She leveled him with a look.

"I don't think you understand. I'm I my senior year of high school. This is thirteen years of my life's effort. I don't care if I'm immortal now I am finishing high school! It would be ridiculous not to at this point, and I want to give my mom some level of normalcy."

He seemed amused by her little rant, which wasn't what she had been going for at all. "Whatever makes you happy sweetheart."

It was still fairly early by the time they got to her house, so she dropped her bags off in his room before they joined his family in the entertainment room. They all seemed to have an unspoken agreement; between Klaus and Caroline because they just knew she would sleep in the same bed as him at this point, and the rest chose not to mention that she would apparently be spending the night. In truth, at this point she was almost hoping her nightmares wouldn't go away for a while to continue to give her a reason to spend the night with him.

The earlier confrontation with _her _friends was not forgotten, but Klaus had seemed to make it his goal to distract her. The five of them all had glasses of blood (from blood bags; Kol grumbled a little about that, but the look Klaus gave him was enough to silence any complaints) and Caroline had found popcorn stashed away in one of the cupboards.

"Okay, I seriously cannot believe the Original vampires we were all so scared of are watching Friends." They all turned to glance at her.

"We built up a reputation for a reason, darling, but that doesn't mean we can't be normal. And it's funny." She accepted Kol's reasoning before turning back to the television.

Klaus leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Why is it so shocking, love?"

"It's not really." She whispered back. "It's just one of my favorite shows, but not many people really like it around here."

"Their loss. If I like it, everyone should." She smiled in agreement at him before Kol told them to either shut it so he could watch the show or get a room.

For once, Klaus didn't seem angered. He and Caroline shared a smile this time, before turning their attention back to the screen.

She slowly scooted closer to him on the couch, hoping his siblings wouldn't notice and comment, before resting her head on his shoulder. He seemed momentarily stunned at her actions, before sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. And in that moment they both thought the same exact thing.

_Oh I could get used to this_.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket a few minutes latter and she left the room to answer it when she saw it was her mother.

Elijah took the opportunity to question his brother. "What are your intentions with Caroline, Niklaus? You aren't trying to use her are you?"

Rather than be angry, he saw the genuine concern in his brother's face and chose to answer accordingly. "No, brother. I want a relationship with her."

"Then I suggest you tell her the whole truth of why you want to find the cure." All in the room heard the unspoken _if you don't want to lose her._ Further discussion of the topic was cut off when Caroline came back into the room with a huff and plopped herself exactly when she had been before.

"Anything wrong, love?" _Did he have to be so perceptive?_

"Nothing, really. _They _went and told my mother that they thought you had compelled me. Obviously I can't be angry for anything I told them, you just told me to say it all." He stroked her back comfortingly. "My mom didn't believe them, that's why she called me. How am I supposed to face them tomorrow?"

Rebekah turned at this. "You can hang out with me Care… if you want. And we can ignore them together."

"Oh thanks Bekah! That sounds like a plan!" They were already using nicknames? The three brothers looked at each other and rolled their eyes. _Girls._ "Just so you know, I think I would have rather hung out with you tomorrow anyway, even if I hadn't fought with them." That comment earned her a smile from Rebekah.

Caroline was slowly coming to realize that all four of the remaining Originals had major issues, and honestly who wouldn't with all that they had gone through in their lives, even if they tried to hide them. Maybe she'd just have to help heal all of them.

It was nice being here with them. While Klaus was the obvious exception, it was almost like having siblings of her own, something she had always longed for. Klaus was the protector; he worried about all of them, Caroline could tell. Elijah was the moderator she could see; he tried to ensure that everyone in the group was making the right decision and stopped confrontations before they started. Kol was the humorous one; every time the mood got dark, he was there to lighten it. And Rebekah was the glue that held them all together. She wondered where she fit in this family picture, how they saw her.

_She brings out the humanity in all of us._ This girl would be very good for his whole family, Klaus could already tell. He would never admit to it out loud, but he missed his days as a human; if anyone asked he would say that humans and humanity were weak. He had become who he was because he did not want anyone to hurt him or his family. Caroline was showing him, though, that humanity could make you stronger.

Elijah was right, though. He had to tell her the whole truth.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I started writing and couldn't stop. I love writing the Originals (cause I really love them)! Oh, and by the way, before I forget yet again, you can follow me on Tumblr at ship-at-first-sight. I follow back, and I can be persuaded to message you spoilers if you ask. You can also pester me for updates when I get lazy and slower to update. I will include Kol and Bonnie as a couple later in this story, but I am not going to fixate on them; no chapter will be focus on their relationship or how they get together. If you want to know, I'll add their story latter and I'll let you know the name once I decide on it. Elijah and Elena seemed to be the most popular (and since my sister asked, I guess I sort of have to) so they will be a couple as well, eventually. **


	6. Chapter 5

**So instead of doing my Russian homework I wrote this. Cause this is so much more fun and rewarding and I didn't want to forget all the ideas that popped into my head! Yay for priorities!**

***Side note* The KolxBonnie fic is up and it is called Beautiful Unexpected if anyone is interested.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 5**

School after spending almost every moment of the weekend with Klaus was torture. _And I should know, I've been tortured._

All right, so she was being a little dramatic. But the day just dragged on and on. The teachers seemed even more boring than usual and the stares she was getting from her "friends" were not helping matters. _Did we really have to get all of our classes together? Whose idea was this?_

She excused herself to the restroom just to have one moment's peace from their stares. She couldn't deal with this right now emotionally. Her boyfriend had been cheating on her and he bit her _yet again_. She could push away what she was feeling when she was with Klaus, but the stark reality of her situation was finally hitting her. And then there was Klaus himself. She liked him, a lot, but she still didn't know what his intentions were and she didn't think she could deal with another boy being dishonest to her. And he was _Klaus_; she couldn't expect him to come to the good side just because he liked her. On the other hand, though, it was great to finally be able to admit to her own feelings for him.

_Why did he have to be so attractive? It would be so much easier if he wasn't completely drool worthy. _

Okay, so not helping. _Breath Caroline, you'll get through this. Go back to class, get through the day, and talk to him. Communication. Yeah, I can do this. I can confront the oldest deadliest being on the planet… no problem._

She immediately felt guilty. Klaus had made it abundantly clear that he would not hurt her. She just needed time to accept that.

_Back to class, you can deal with this latter. _

Lunch was a welcome reprieve, until her old group decided to all stare at her as she waited for Rebekah. Stefan got up and walked over to her against Elena's very loud objections. _Stop staring at me if you want to ignore me._

"What do you want Stefan?" She asked without looking up at him.

"Caroline, you're my friend. I'm worried about you. I spent the whole summer with him so I happen to know first hand that Klaus is dangerous." She looked up at him at that.

"Seriously, Stefan? You left me in a house alone with him when he said he was going to save me. You didn't seem too worried about him hurting me then. Go back to Elena, I am perfectly capable of handling myself."

"Caroline-"

"I believe she asked you to leave Stefan." At Rebekah's voice, his jaw clenched.

"And now you're hanging out with Rebekah? That's a new low Caroline." _Okay that hurt a little bit. _"Don't come crawling back to us when they leave you hurt." And with those encouraging words, he returned to Elena and led her away.

"Are you alright Caroline?" And Rebekah showed more concern for her than her supposed friends.

"No. But I'll be fine eventually. And he's not the worst of them; at least his was sort of from concern for me and not just hate of you guys." She then noticed that Rebekah seemed upset. "Are you alright?"

"Well, Matt still hates me, so not so good either." _She really cares for him, doesn't she?_

"So hanging out with him wasn't just some plot to get back at Elena and me?"

"In the beginning it was, but he's so _genuine. _He treats be better than any man I've met over my existence. I really like him." _And she hasn't used compulsion to make him forget what she did. She wants to win him genuinely, sort of like Klaus with me._

The score as she figured it currently stood at:

Mystic Falls: 4

Originals: 0

_So much for being unfeeling monsters. Oh if I could go back in time and tell myself all I this, I'd have a good laugh. _

"Matt's always been like that. No matter what happens in his life, he stays true to himself. It's refreshing in this crazy world." Matt she was sure would always be the same, even if he was ever turned. He would be the most human of all of them.

"Why'd you too break up, if you don't mind me asking?" For once there wasn't jealousy in the girl's voice just genuine curiosity.

"Well, I'd give you the whole he couldn't accept that I was a vampire speech, but I think we just really weren't meant to be together. And we've been better as friends anyway." She would always love Matt, but she wasn't in love with him anymore. They weren't destined to be an amazing love, and that is what she wanted. Caroline appreciated her time with Matt though; he had made her want to be a better person.

Both their phones vibrated at the same time interrupting their conversation.

_Going to Italy this weekend, want to join? _Both their screens read. "I guess we're going to Italy Care."

"You can't just spring Italy on me." She said by way of greeting a few hours latter walking into Klaus' study.

"And why not love?" He questioned with his trademark smirk. _It really wasn't fair how gorgeous he was especially not while painting. Looking all sexy and artsy, I'll never be able to think a jock is hot again._

"Cause Europe is romantic and stuff. And what will I tell my mom?"

"Well, the point of the trip is to get the sword so that we can save all of our lives, so tell her it's a matter of life and death."

"Oh, so this isn't part of your master plan to woo me?"

"Well, it shouldn't take that long to retrieve the sword, and we'll have all weekend to explore Italy a little giving me plenty of time to take you on a date. So, will you come?" She had already decided that she wanted to go, but she figured she'd let him sweat it out a little.

"Hmmm, well I might be able to make time for it-"

"Caroline." He growled playfully.

"Alright, alright. I'll go with you." The smile she got in return was more than enough to know that she had made the right decision. She walked over to the couch in the room and sat down to watch him paint. "When'd you start drawing?"

"I've always enjoyed it, but I really got into art after Katerina fled. I had given up hope of ever breaking the curse and needed something to distract me. Aside from massacring whole towns."

"Well, if she hadn't run away, you would have never met me. So that's something, right?" She was trying to lighten the mood that had settled over the room; she knew that he had hurt a lot of people in his life, but that was then and this was now. She didn't need to know how many people's lives he had taken.

"Hmmm, I suppose. I mean, we may have run into each other at some point. Destiny and all. Speaking of Katerina, you mentioned something about her the other night and I was curious to hear how exactly you became a vampire." He said as he turned from the canvas to join her on the sofa.

Caroline had hoped this would never come up. Not from any loyalty to Katherine, but she didn't want him killing people for her.

But she also knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't give up until he had a response, so she chose the easy way. "Yeah, Katherine came to town to try to win back Stefan, but he shot her down. I was in the hospital, and Damon gave me his blood to save me; I was pretty bad off. To send a message to Stefan, Damon, and Elena she smothered me in the hospital."

"Katerina seems to enjoy giving me reasons for wanting to kill her." He seemed to be trying very hard to control his anger in front of her, so she grabbed his hand in one of hers, and brought the other to hold his face. She didn't miss how he leaned into her touch.

"Hey, its alright. I'm sort of glad; I feel less useless as a vampire than I did as a human and at least I know what's going on in this town and I can protect myself from it."

"You didn't know before you were turned?"

"Nope. And I woke up alone in the hospital craving blood and I had no idea why." She could remember the fear and the disgust at herself when she drank the blood bag because she enjoyed it.

"I'm sorry love." Would it ever cease to amaze her when he showed compassion towards her? "I have something I need to tell you before we go to Italy love, but I'm afraid you might be upset with me."

Well now she was worried. _This morning, I knew, I knew he was hiding something. _"Well, if you don't tell me, I'm going to be more upset, so spill."

"When I found out that the five still exist, I thought I could use the cure to turn only one person back, if the cure exists."

"Elena. You still want your hybrid slave army? Am I not good enough? Is your family not good enough?" _She had given him a chance and he-_

"You could all leave me! I want people who can't betray me!" _Oh Klaus._

Neither of them were on the couch anymore, almost as though they knew that if they were close to each other they could lose control. She took a calming breath before responding. "Klaus, you- I won't stay here and watch you use her as a human blood bag, no matter how angry at her I am. If you do this, you'll lose me before you'll ever have me. I can't promise I'll stay with you forever, but you have to give me a fighting chance to try to."

He sighed. He was supposed to calmly explain to her the truth, but her interruption had caused his temper to get the best of him. He pinched the bridge of his nose before replying. "I know Caroline. I made it seem like there had to be a cure for Stefan's benefit. I need him on my side to keep Damon in check. I don't even know if there is a cure."

"And if there is, you'll use it to turn Elena human so you can have your hybrids?"

"Caroline, this has been my goal for centuries. You can't expect me to just forget about it."

"If you want any kid of relationship with me I suggest you try!" They had gotten progressively closer to each other as they fought, now merely an arm's length from each other.

"To what point Caroline? So we can be friends for eternity?" Oh this man. He was infuriating. How could she show him-? _Screw taking my time, he needs to understand how I feel._

She closed the distance between them, and pulled his head down to hers. "I don't want to be your friend." And then she was kissing him, or did he press his lips to hers first? It didn't matter though, because she was kissing him and it felt so _right _and he was kissing her back igniting hot desire in both of them.

She had wondered since kissing him in Tyler's body how it would feel to actually kiss him. She was not disappointed. He hadn't been alive for a thousand years for nothing. The passion in this one kiss was better than anything she had ever had with Tyler.

He bit her lip with blunt teeth, and, at her gasp, plunged his tongue into her mouth. She kissed him back with just as much fervor until he broke away. She growled in discontent at the momentary lapse of contact, only for him to trail hot kisses down her throat.

"Another of those hobbies you picked up?" She asked breathlessly.

He broke away from her throat to smile at her. "You haven't experienced anything yet sweetheart." His voice had taken on a husky quality that promised passion filled nights. "I will let Elena decide if she wants to be human again if there is a cure along with anyone else who wants it. And as long as you stay by my side I see no reason to make hybrids."

Well, if she knew he would be this easy to convince. _And if I would get something very enjoyable out of it. _"Thank you. And I guess that gives me a good reason to stay." She smiled at him quickly to show him she was semi-teasing. She wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not, though. Only time would tell, and seeing how she was a vampire… "If you go back on you word, just know that I won't be here the next morning."

His heart clenched painfully at her words. "I think I found something that matters more to me than them love. The thought of losing you is worse than not making hybrids."

"You sure you won't grow tired of me when the next challenge pops up?"

He leaned his head down towards her lips once more. "Never."

The week after that passed fairly quickly. Her mom was easy enough to convince, especially after she explained the nightmares to her; Klaus was able to talk Caroline into staying with him in Italy for a whole week instead of just the weekend. Rebekah was a welcome distraction from the continuing stares of her old crowd at school, but they were part of the reason she wanted to get away for longer than they had originally planned. And her nights were spent in Klaus' arms. Just kissing at this point. He didn't want to mess anything up with her and she didn't want to sleep with him until he proved that he wasn't going to continue making hybrids.

She was surprised when on Wednesday, Bonnie was on her front porch. "Caroline, I've been waiting for you. I need to talk to you."

"Sorry, groceries." She said, holding up the bags as evidence; she wasn't entirely thrilled to see her, but she hated this between them. "Come on in."

Bonnie followed her through the house into the kitchen and watched as she started putting the food away. "I wanted to apologize. You were right, I was much less accepting of you then I've been of Elena and that's not fair to you. And I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most, and you were there when I needed you because of my mom. I'm so sorry Caroline."

Caroline couldn't control herself anymore; she hugged her friend that she had missed so much for the past couple of days. "Thank you for apologizing. I'm sorry I freaked out on you."

"Please, you had every reason to." Well at least one of her friends didn't completely hate her.

Going back to finishing putting the groceries away, she voiced the question that had popped into her head. "So what brought this on?"

Bonnie looked at the floor at that and sheepishly responded, "I went on a date with Kol last night, and he told me how upset Klaus said you were. I realized if Klaus was worried about you, I was probably in the wrong. That came out wrong. I wanted to apologize since you yelled at us all, I just needed the push." _So, I guess Kol actually got her to go out with him. Give him props._

"Well, I'm glad you don't hate me."

"I could never hate you Caroline. Elena doesn't either. She's just really feeling betrayed right now. She doesn't understand why you're attracted to Klaus." _Only Elena doesn't understand. Oh, Bonnie, Kol's getting to you._ Maybe her score from earlier was wrong.

"He is surprisingly capable of showing kindness. I really like being around him."

"And Rebekah?"

"Her too, and she reminds me of me. In fact, all of the Originals are growing on me."

"They have a certain charm. I blame the accents."

They talked for a little while longer before Bonnie went home. She felt arms snake around her waist and a chin rest on top of her head. "Have a good talk, love?"

Caroline relaxed against him. "Yeah. Apparently Kol took her on a date last night and opened her eyes to how she was acting."

"Kol? My brother Kol?" _ He hadn't thought his brother would be able to convince the witch to do anything with him. She hadn't exactly made secret her distaste for any vampire who wasn't a friend of hers. _He turned her to face him.

"Apparently. How was your day?"

"Fine, better now that I'm with you." He had truthfully missed her for every moment of the day, waiting impatiently for her to get back home from that loathsome place she insisted on going to. _You only don't like it because it detracts from your time with her._

"Well then, why aren't you kissing me yet?" He happily obliged her request with one of his deep-throated chuckles.

And now it was Friday. She hadn't gone to school to give herself time to pack, and anyway she would have had to leave before lunch to make the flight. They were leaving in two hours and she still wasn't done yet though.

"Caroline, love, whatever you bring will be fine." Klaus spoke from his position on her brand new bed. Once she told him the day before she had slept with Damon, Tyler, and Matt on her old one, he had been livid, though not with her. Just that she had to sleep on something with all those bad memories associated with it. And when she got home from school, there was a new bed. She decided not to question it.

She gave him a look to let him know he was being utterly ridiculous before turning back to her dresser. He rolled his eyes at her and sighed, which she saw in the mirror. "Is there a problem?"

"There are so many better things we could be doing right now, love." She had finally decided on several outfits, but she wanted to play along for a little while longer.

"Oh, like what?" He flashed over so that he was behind her and pushed her hair to one side before starting to trail kisses up her neck.

"You could turn around and I could kiss you properly." He whispered into her ear, making a shiver run down her back. "And then, when the time gets away from us and we realize we have to leave, you'll throw the first things you find into your suitcase."

She flashed over to the suitcase lying open on her bed with the clothes, eliciting a growl from Klaus. "Sorry, already picked what clothes I want." She grabbed the dresses she had already decided on from her closet and a couple of pairs of shoes before placing them all in her suitcase along with her bathroom supplies. She then quickly grabbed some underwear from her drawer, hoping he wouldn't comment. "And we promised your siblings we'd be there for lunch."

"No, you promised. I only agreed to go because it will make you happy." He walked over and helped her close her suitcase when he saw her having difficulties.

"I won't be happy if we don't go." Well, if he was kissing her she probably would be happy, but still.

"Fine, but you owe me several kisses sweetheart." She turned towards him and looped her arms around his neck.

"Well why don't I start paying up now?"

They missed lunch.

"Too busy snogging to have some time with your family, brother?" Kol said as soon as he saw them approach in Mystic Falls tiny airport.

"Kol-" Klaus growled out in warning.

"I'm surprised you even made it to the airport." Rebekah chimed in.

"Remind me again why you invited them?" If they were going to be like this the whole trip, Caroline didn't know if she could take it. At least Elijah seemed uninterested in questioning them about their more physical relationship, though he did seem to be hiding a smile behind the newspaper he suddenly seemed engrossed in.

"I figured I'd let them find the sword while I showed you some of Italy sweetheart." _Oh he's brilliant._

"I guess I can put up with them for now then." She stuck her tongue out at Kol as she went to give Rebekah a hug. "So what flight are we taking?"

"Niklaus has a private jet that should be here shortly." Elijah finally joined the conversation. He looked amused when Caroline's jaw dropped open. "Surely you know that he built up quite a fortune?"

"I didn't realize it was quite that much." She said dryly after she recovered her wits.

"He's a very smart man. He's been able to start several businesses and has been very successful in the stock market." She looked at the man in question to confirm it, and to her shock he looked sheepish.

"Not just focused on killing innocent townspeople?" She asked teasingly.

"Well, love, I had to be able to afford traveling to the innocent townspeople." He shot back with a smile.

"Ah, I see. Well, that makes sense I guess."

The plane landed a few minutes latter and they all piled in. "Wow. I've never even been in an actual plane before, and I don't think I'll be able to after this." She commented as he led her to a seat, the farthest from his siblings. She noticed that amidst the teasing, they went out of their way to give them privacy.

"If it's up to me, love, you'll never have to. And since we have that little deal it seems like you'll be stuck with living a life of luxury. Speaking of…" He pulled a long black jewelry box out of the messenger bag he had brought with him. "I believe this belongs to you."

She accepted the box, but she already knew what was inside it. "I don't need expensive gifts Klaus."

"Nonsense, you deserve the best. And it was a birthday present, it would be rude to return it." _Oh if he thought he could get his way just because he flashed those dimples…_

"Fine. Help me put it on?" He took the bracelet from her and fastened it around her wrist. "Tell me how you got it?"

"It was from a princess, I already told you that. I was a lord at that time, and she wanted me to court her. I did it to keep up appearances mostly. She wanted love, though, and I couldn't give it to her. This was after Katerina, you understand, I wasn't in a good place. There was a war going on, so I had to pretend I was going to fight in it. People were starting to notice that I wasn't ageing, so it was time for me to move on anyway. Before I left, she gave me the bracelet. Her father had given it to her mother and they had been together for sixty years. She wanted me to believe in love. I almost didn't take it because it was the last thing of her mother's. She insisted though, and I thought it foolish to have such thoughts, so I took it with me. She died a few weeks latter. It's almost as if she knew that she was going to die and that she wouldn't need the bracelet. I've been saving it ever since."

"Wow, so you didn't steal it."

He laughed at her. "I told you not to make assumptions."

"Thank you for telling me and thank you for giving me the bracelet." She kissed him softly.

"Of course." He murmured against her lips before deepening the kiss.

"Oy! There are other people on this plane!"

He tried to pull away to yell at Kol to _leave them the hell alone_ but Caroline kept a firm hold on his face, he opened his eyes slightly to see what she would do just in time to witness her very calmly flip Kol off.

"I don't think Nik would be very happy about that darling." She let Klaus go with an indignant gasp at that.

He flashed over to his brother and grabbed him by the shirt, Elijah and Rebekah choosing to ignore the proceedings. "Do not think for one second that I will hesitate to tear you limb from limb if you ever say anything like that to Caroline again. Do you understand me?" And his nod, he let go of his hold on his shirt. "Now, apologize to Caroline."

"I'm very sorry, darling. Hundred years in a box deprived me of manners."

"Well, don't let it happen again Kol, 'kay?"

All in all, the plane ride was rather uneventful after that. A few hours before they were scheduled to land, Caroline took a nap on Klaus' chest, and for once no nightmares ruined her sleep. _Maybe it was just being near him…_

She woke to fingers tickling her sides. "Nik, _stop _it." She whined drowsily.

She heard his quick intake of breath, but the cause did not register in her mind. "We're here sweetheart."

She opened her eyes at that. "We're in Italy?"

"Yep, the planes landing right now." He enjoyed seeing her eyes light up. If she got this excited from a quick trip to Italy how would she react when he showed her the world?

Caroline was, for her part, trying to contain her excitement. It was just that she had never actually been anywhere and her first time out of Virginia was Italy? That was a hard concept to wrap her mind around. She grabbed Klaus' hand and tugged him toward the door when they were told they could exit. "Welcome to Italy love."

She had been under the assumption that they would be staying at a hotel, but apparently the Mikaelson's owned a villa. _Why am I surprised after the private jet?_ It was massive though, bigger than his mansion in Mystic Falls. "How long have you owned this place?" He had led her to his _huge_ bedroom with a massive bed after his siblings had gone to find the sword.

"Since the eighteenth century. I liked it, so here we are." _How nice it must be to like something and buy it just because._

"Very nice." Oh, she had to pay better attention to what she let slip out. He smiled at her though, so she knew he wasn't upset by the snide tone of her voice.

_You know Caroline most girls would be thrilled to have a rich… boyfriend? I'll have to ask him about that, but no you just complain about it. _

She decided to change the topic. "Why didn't your siblings stay longer?"

"We're in Italy love, the faster they retrieve the sword, the sooner they can enjoy it."

"Are you sure we shouldn't go?" Not that she really wanted to, but she felt guilty letting his siblings do all of the work.

"No, we have dinner reservations. You should probably wear one of your dresses tonight." She flopped herself on the bed. _And it was even more comfortable than it had looked._

"More fancy things?" If she had to wear a dress…

"I told you before love, only the best for you." She rolled her eyes, but smiled at him and patted the spot next to her.

"So, what are we exactly? We're not friends anymore exactly, but…" He grabbed he hands, which she had been twisting nervously.

"Caroline Forbes, would you do me the great honor of being my girlfriend?" She looked at him for a moment before doubling over in laughter. "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry, its just I never thought I would hear _you_ ask someone to be your girlfriend let alone have it be _me _on the receiving end." She said through her giggles.

"You haven't answered love, you're making me nervous." She stopped laughing and looked at him seriously.

"Well duh." _He wants to be my boyfriend!_ She was dancing on the inside; she hadn't been this happy in a long time.

He stared at her in shock for a moment. "Did you just say duh in answer to my romantic question?"

"Yep." She grinned cheekily up at him.

_What had he done to deserve this girl?_ "Are you ever going to kiss me Nik?"

"So I'm Nik now, am I?" Klaus didn't reveal just how happy it made him to hear her call him that. Just a week ago, he had thought she hated him, and now here they were in Italy and she was calling him Nik.

"Ummmhmmm. Now kiss me before I change my mind."

There were few things Klaus had found in his lifetime that he enjoyed more than kissing Caroline. This was the time when his life had really begun. He had been walking around for centuries, feeling like something was missing, and for the first time, here with her arms around him and their bodies flush together, he felt complete.

He pulled away with a groan. "We should stop." Neither of them were ready to go to the next step yet and it really was too soon in their relationship to go there.

She nodded her head. "You're right. We should probably leave the bedroom then, till we're too tired to do anything but sleep."

It made him very happy to discover that she wanted him in that way, but she was right, they needed to get out of the bedroom before the temptation became too much. _What I do for this girl_.

And they did just that, kept going all day until they fell into bed exhausted. Some things were worth waiting for and they both had the feeling that this would be one of them. He showed her some of Italy, at least what they could get to easily in the few hours left of the day, and the dinner was one of the best meals of her life. He got jealous when the men in the restaurant looked at her, but since the women were doing the same to him she told him to get over it. She didn't want anyone else, and she couldn't even imagine that. He had ruined her for any other guy in the short week they had been together. _I have a sinking suspicion that that was exactly his intention, not that I'm complaining._

She wasn't wrong. He had no intentions of letting her go, but if she chose to, he wanted her to come back to him. It was low of him, he knew, but the wolf in him wanted her to be _his_ and only his. The longer her spent with her the more intense his feelings in that regard grew. And he could feel himself wanting her to claim him as _hers_. That's why he wanted her to be his girlfriend and himself to be her boyfriend; the labels meant something important.

They belonged to each other now, whether or not they were fully aware of that. But that was what they both wanted anyway.

_Always and forever_.

**A/N: So sorry it got so long! I couldn't stop once I started. I hope it's okay and didn't feel to rushed or anything. Up next: more Italy! **


	7. Chapter 6

**Thank you to all the readers and reviewers! It means a lot to me to have this story so widely liked (and gives me encouragement to keep writing)! I wanted to get this chapter out because I'll be pretty busy with school this week, but I have break after that so I'll have time to make up for it if I don't post anything else this week. This chapter is like all fluff, so enjoy it while it lasts!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 6**

"Would you mind telling me why exactly I _had _to get up at this ungodly hour and why I couldn't pick out my own outfit?" Caroline growled from the passenger seat of Klaus's car, nursing a blood bag. He had woken her up half an hour earlier, handed her two boxes, one having a plaid shirt and the other boots, told her to put on jeans with the shirt and that she didn't have time for a shower. Needless to say, she was a little grumpy.

"It's almost ten o' clock Caroline. And it's a surprise so you'll have to wait until we get there." _Did he have to be so awake? He hadn't gotten up that much sooner than she had. _

"Fine, but this better be worth it." Klaus chuckled at how perturbed she sounded. He had never seen her in a mood like this, and he was glad that she was getting comfortable enough around him to show him new sides of her personality. She shot him a glare at his chuckle though. "You kept me awake until three in the morning. The least you could have done was let me sleep in a little longer."

"Sorry love, but this is the only day the place we're going to isn't open to the public and I think you'll enjoy it better with just the two of us." She leveled him with another look before huffing and turning to look out the window at the scenery. And then gasped when she saw their destination.

"A horse farm?" An excited tone quickly replaced her grumpy one from before and he knew he had made a good choice.

"Well, you did tell me that you liked horses, so I figured that it would be a fun way to spend part of our day."

She looked at him suspiciously. "You don't own this too, do you?"

He chuckled at her assumption as he turned into the long drive leading to their destination. "No, love, but we are here to pick out horses to have sent back to Mystic Falls."

"You're buying me a horse?" She questioned with childlike glee. At his nod she sobered a little. "I can't- Nik, you need to stop spending all this money on me."

"I told you before love, I enjoy spending money on you and giving you the things you deserve." He had a feeling that this topic would come up for many years in their relationship. They had grown up in two different time periods, which made things difficult. While his innate sense was to lavish the girl he was courting with gifts, Caroline had grown up in a time where that wasn't wanted, or even really appreciated, by many of her peers.

She sighed and turned to look at him. "I would want to be with you even if you didn't."

"Thank you sweetheart. But I want to do this for you." He reassured with a smile in her direction.

She smiled back quickly. "Why'd we have to go to Italy to get horses though?"

"This farm happens to have some of the best horses in the world and I've been buying from them since they opened two centuries ago." He brought the car to a stop and started to exit the car, when her hand on his arm stopped him.

He looked at her questioningly, about to reassure her yet again that he _wanted _to do this for her. But that wasn't the problem at this point. "Nik, I don't even know how to ride."

"Well lucky for you, I happen to be an expert." He stated with a wink as she rolled her eyes at his cockiness. He walked at human speed to her door because the proprietor, who had been expecting his arrival, had come out of the office. He helped her down before turning to the man as Caroline looked around in wonder. _And she hasn't even seen the horses yet._

"Ciao Mr. Mikaelson. Bentornato. Cosa posso fare per te oggi?" While he had told the man to expect his arrival, he had not told him of his purpose for coming.

"La mia ragazza e mi piacerebbe vedere i cavalli. Si sta cercando di acquistare." Caroline looked over at him quizzically at his flawless transition into Italian. He shrugged his shoulders at her as if to say 'What do you expect after a thousand years traveling the world?'

"Meraviglioso, signore, da questa parte." The man had always been one to jump when money was involved.

"Un momento. Permettetemi di presentarvi il mio compagno di Miss Caroline Forbes." Klaus easily slipped back into English. "Caroline love, this is Mr. Lorenzo Moretti. He's the owner of the farm."

Once they had shaken hands, Klaus directed Lorenzo to lead them to the barn. "Pick which ever one you want love, we'll test them out before we make a decision."

Lorenzo already knew Klaus' preference in horse-_ the ones that refused to break- _(in fact, one of the main reasons they had come now was because Lorenzo had called to inform him that they had a horse he might be interested in) but it was his business to match horses to people and he needed to know the type Caroline was expecting. "Che tipo di cavallo per la signora, signore?"

"Più docile che le mie preferenze. Non ha mai cavalcato prima." He knew it was foolish, she was a vampire, a throw from a horse wouldn't kill her, but he cringed at the thought of her being hurt at all.

"Credo di avere solo il cavallo." Klaus nodded to acknowledge his words before turning to Caroline.

"Caroline, follow Mr. Moretti, he thinks he has a horse for you. I'm going to go look at the horse he has for me." He then turned back to Lorenzo. "Prenditi cura di lei."

Caroline for her part was extremely excited. The horses, they were all so beautiful, she didn't know how she would ever choose. When Klaus told her that Lorenzo had one in mind for her, she was relieved. She followed him as Klaus went to the other side of the barn, and he led her to a beautiful mare. _At least she could tell that much_. He opened the door for her, and she cautiously walked in. _You're a vampire Caroline, you can do this. Klaus wouldn't leave you alone if he didn't trust Mr. Moretti._

She tentatively reached out her hand to stroke the horse's nose. Caroline breathed a sigh of relief _this wasn't so bad._

"Stella." Lorenzo's voice came from behind her.

"Is that her name?" She hoped he understood, and was gratified when he nodded his head. "Pretty Stella." She said stroking the horse's head.

"Lo prendo da qui. I percorsi sono sempre gli stessi, giusto?" She nearly jumped at Klaus' voice behind her. "Here, let me show you how to saddle her."

"You already picked out a horse?" She asked as he helped her saddle Stella.

"Yeah, he's waiting outside." He lifted her into the saddle. "You'll have to learn how to get up on your own eventually, but I want you to feel comfortable on her first." Klaus showed her how to use the reins, and then led the horse out of the barn to where his horse _that he was definitely buying _waited. "This is Tuono." He introduced, handing her the reins before jumping on his horse. _The unbreakable horse that he had gotten to submit in the few minutes he had with him._

He led them to the path giving her directions until he was sure that she was comfortable and they rode in companionable silence for a while.

"So, you know Italian?" She was the first to break the silence.

"Yes, and French, German, Celtic, Norse, Spanish, and whatever else I needed to pick up in a given area." He had to at least blend in a little wherever he happened to be.

"Big show off." He heard her mumble under her breath eliciting a laugh from him.

"Is it working?" He looked over at her to see her trying to hide a grin. _He really should laugh like that more; its one of the best laughs I've ever heard._

"Is what working?"

"Is my showing off impressing you?" He knew he already had her affections, but he never wanted to stop trying to woo her as she had put it.

"That's for me to know." And she seemed determined to give him reason to chase after her. "Tell me something in Italian?"

He couldn't refuse her request. "Tu sei la creatura più bella che esista. Io non sono degno di te."

"What does it mean?" She enjoyed hearing the foreign words fall from his tongue. Whereas with Lorenzo he had been impersonal and cold, with her he made the words soft and seductive.

"I said that you are the most beautiful creature in existence and that I am unworthy of you." Klaus looked at her with a sheepish grin.

"Thank you for thinking that I'm so beautiful. I don't see it, but thank you. As for the worthiness, well, we'll see."

"Caroline." He brought his horse to a halt and she followed suit when she saw that he was no longer moving and then turned to face him questioningly. "Never think for a second that you are anything but beautiful. I have seen many women in my lifetime, and none compare to you."

"I think its me who doesn't deserve you." He got down off his horse at her words and walked over to hers. He placed his hands on her waist and brought her down to the ground.

"Don't belittle yourself sweetheart." He said against her lips. He then set about making her feel like the queen she was.

They left the farm some hours latter after Klaus arranged for the horses to be sent back to the states. Caroline had turned out to be a natural in the saddle. She thanked him profusely, not just for buying a horse for her, but for giving her the chance to ride one at all; she had always wanted to, but there weren't very many opportunities in Mystic Falls.

"So, do you like Italy so far love?" He questioned once they were back in the car.

"Yes! It's amazing, and you've made it so enjoyable for me. I am a little disappointed though." She stated seriously, and he looked at her worriedly.

"Oh, about what?" She looked at him with mischief in her eyes.

"You promised to take me to Rome." He breathed a sigh of relief that he had not committed some unforgivable blunder and she laughed.

"I had planned to drive there with you tomorrow, but if you're going to laugh at me…" He teased back.

"Oh, so I'm not allowed to laugh at you?" She crosses her arms and tilted her head at him.

"Nope."

"And why is that?" She challenged affecting a haughty tone.

"I am _the _Original Hybrid. Can't have people laughing at me." Klaus shot back in mock seriousness.

"Not even me?" The pout she sent his way rivaled anything he had ever seen in lines of cute pathetic-ness _not that he had ever referred to anything as cute before he was sure_.

He broke at her expression, even if it was part of her teasing, he didn't like seeing anything but a smile on her face. "Well, as long as it's not in front of anyone I guess you can laugh at me."

She smiled victoriously at him. "So you'll still take me to see Rome then?"

"I did promise, and I am a man of my word." He would give her anything, do anything for her, to see the smile remain on her face.

She had thought that when he won her he would stop being charming. That he would treat her like every other person her came into contact with, that the light, teasing relationship they had would fade away. She was incredibly grateful that it hadn't yet. Caroline liked him like this; she didn't like the person her friends spoke of.

"That's good to know. So what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"Well, I thought we could go back to the house so you could shower since you were so angry at me this morning for not giving you a chance to. Then I have another surprise."

"I'm not sure I like all these surprises you keep throwing at me Mr. Mikaelson." _That was an obvious lie. _

He caught the lie in her voice, but he liked playing along with her teasing. "Sure about that sweetheart? I'm sure I could make it worth your while." Klaus wagged his eyebrows at her, making her laughter fill the car.

"I guess I shall suffer through it with the promise of you making it up to me." She tried to affect a haughty tone, but it was hard through her giggles.

"I promise to make it up to you somehow my lady." They laughed all the way back to the villa. _If only they all could see him now. _She thought wistfully of her friends as she headed up to their room to shower. _He's not all about murdering innocents. He has a…tender side when you give him the chance to show it._

He was waiting for her, once she was done, at the foot of the staircase with a, _was that a picnic basket?_

"How do you feel about a picnic love?"

They walked for a little while to get to where Klaus promised was the best part of the property. They walked through the woods surrounding it, and finally stepped into a clearing and she immediately knew why he liked this part of the land so much. There was a small pond, but it was beautiful despite its size. It was like a whole other world back here.

While she had been looking at the beauty of where he had taken her, Klaus had pulled a blanket out of the basket and started pulling out food. "Hungry, sweetheart?"

"Mmhmmm." She joined him on the blanket as he poured her a glass of wine. "So, why no restaurant today?"

"Well, you did seem rather upset about the amount of money I was spending on you and I didn't want to put up with other men staring at you again. Would you rather we-" She leaned over and silenced him with a kiss.

"No, this is just as nice as going to any fancy restaurant, and honestly, I'd rather have you all to myself. I was just curious because, well, I didn't peg you for the picnic kind of guy."

"What can I say? I'm full of surprises when it comes to you." _As if she didn't know that_.

"Probably a good thing cause otherwise we wouldn't be here right now enjoying each other's company." _Because if you hadn't shown a smidge of humanity towards me, I would be dead right now._

It seemed that he knew what she was thinking. "Let's not focus on what could have happened. What happened, happened and I'm a better man for it."

It pleased Caroline greatly to have him be thankful for the changes that had occurred in him in the past week. She breathed an inward sigh of relief that he didn't seem resentful towards her because of those changes. _Was he just looking for a reason to show kindness to someone all these years, and no one was willing to give him a chance?_ She knew she had to make Klaus know that he made her better too. "Yeah, well you helped me too. I—I was ready to die the first time you saved me. You made me realize just how much I would be missing if I gave up, though."

He seemed at a momentary loss for words. She saw many emotions flash in his eyes from anger to sadness at her confession. "I'm glad I managed to change you mind. I can't imagine the world without your light."

They ate in silence, smiling at each other every now and then. "I can't believe I'm actually in Italy. I keep expecting this to be some sort of crazy dream."

"Well, I'm flattered you dream of me, then." She blushed at his assessment and he realized that she had dreamt of him, and they, judging from the blush, were not of the innocent variety. He decided not to embarrass her further, though.

"I do believe you promised me something in return for surprising me again." She stated after a moment.

"I believe your right Miss Forbes." He leaned toward her, and she closed her eyes expectantly. Instead of kissing her oh so tempting mouth, though, he grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on top of it, making her eyes shot open. "Is that payment enough?"

"Sorry, I was _really_ upset."

He kissed her throat. "How about now?" She shook her head. Her cheek. "Now?" Another shake of her head. Her ear. "Now?" She shook her head slower this time. The corner of her mouth. "Warmer?" She nodded her head. The other corner of her mouth. She growled, finally impatient with his teasing, but he was tired of the game as well. He finally, _oh finally!_, captured her lips with his own. His tongue traced her mouth, and she moaned into his. He delved into her mouth, and their tongues dueled for control.

He pulled away after a few minutes. "Have I acquitted myself?"

"I might need a _little _more convincing." She quipped breathlessly. That was all the encouragement he needed.

They kissed for a good long while before she decided he had made it up to her. "Fancy a swim sweetheart?" She shot him a glance. "Not naked if that's what's running through that pretty little head."

"Oh alright." He pulled his shirt over his head, noticing her appreciative stare, and then pulled his jeans off before running into the water at her confirmation.

"Are you coming love?" He questioned when he saw her still standing fully clothed on the shore.

"Yep, just appreciating the view." She then pulled her shirt off followed quickly by her pants and _he_ got to enjoy the view. "I've always loved swimming, there's something relaxing about the water."

And then he splashed her in the face, enjoying watching her sputter. "Oh, you'll pay Niklaus!" They laughed and splashed each other for several minutes until the clouds they hadn't noticed started dropping rain down that was steadily growing heavier.

"We should head back!" Klaus shouted over the storm as thunder rumbled overhead. The ran to their pill of clothes, he throwing Caroline his shirt to put on as he put on his jeans before throwing everything else into the picnic basket. They ran, at human pace, back to the house.

"Nik, wait!" She yelled before they went inside. He turned to her, quirking his brow questioningly. "I've always wanted a kiss in the rain."

He dropped the basket and pulled her to him at her words. He would give her whatever she desired, and this was something very, very easy for him to give to her.

"Thank you." She whispered against his lips when he was able to pull himself away. He grabbed her hand in his, the other grabbing the discarded basket before pulling her inside.

"Anytime love. Go dry off, I'll be up in a minute." She smiled at him before heading up the stairs. He quite liked the view his shirt on her gave him, but he was glad none of his siblings were home. _Especially not Kol._ She glanced back at him and noticed him staring before smiling knowingly. He smiled back before walking to the kitchen. What a change from the woods when she had called him disgusting. It seemed so long ago now, but it really hadn't been. It was strange to think of. He quickly put everything away, grabbing her clothes to take upstairs with him.

He found her on their bed upstairs looking through his sketchbook. Mercifully, she was no longer in his shirt because he was unsure if he would have been able to control himself any longer. What little tenuous control he had was already slipping.

"You know you're really good right?" She questioned, flipping another page without looking up at him. He took the opportunity to strip out of his pants and underwear before putting on new ones. He glanced back at her and noticed she had hid her face behind her hair causing him to smirk.

"Thank you, but I think it's my muse." He had taken to drawing her every night before they fell asleep, but he hadn't shown her any of his sketches until now.

She finally glanced at him, but when she noticed he was still shirtless she looked away quickly. "Please, you have incredible talent. You can't tell me no one's told you that before."

"Actually love I can. You would be the first person outside of my siblings to compliment my art. Not that I've exactly show it to the outside world or anything." He pulled a shirt out and slipped it over his head. "Would you like to go watch a movie?" He figured they should both get out of the bedroom.

"I would love to." He led her to the entertainment room that had been recently added before setting up the player.

"Do you like _Ghost_?" He asked, pulling out the first movie he found in the cabinet.

A quick smile lit her face. "Yes, but I don't know if you will."

Her smile had been enough to tell him that they were watching this movie. He didn't care if it was the worst movie known to man. "If I get to hold you in my arms I think I'll survive." He placed the disk in the player before joining her on the couch and pulling her into his arms. "I've seen it before love." He whispered in her ear. "And I enjoy it."

She leaned into him as they watched the commercials. "So, how many properties do you own exactly?"

"Too many to count. Several in almost every country at the least." He had known that that question would be coming soon what with her shock towards the plane and then the villa; it had only been a matter of time.

"Why so many?" She bent her head back to look at him.

"I like having places to go to any time I wish and its simply less hassle than going to hotels. And I didn't want to sell any of them and have people uncover the skeletons in my closet."

"Will I get to see them all?"

"If you'd like." He tried to come off as blasé, but he had never been happier. For her to be able to see all that he owned she would have to stay with him for a good, long while.

The movie started then, cutting off any further discussion for the time being. They both enjoyed it, and he surprised her yet again when he chose not to comment on her tears for fictional characters. He just wiped them from her face and held her.

"Another movie, or dinner sweetheart." He questioned when her eyes dried.

"How about we have dinner and watch a movie?" She shot back with a grin.

He looked relieved that she was no longer crying. "Two non-fancy dates in one day? I'm not sure love."

"Oh come on." She said, tugging his arm and pulling him towards the kitchen. "It'll do you good to leave your comfort zone. Besides, if you don't start to loosen up, you'll turn into Elijah."

He produced a fake shiver playing at disgust. "Wouldn't want that."

She smiled at him, grabbing eggs from the fridge. He watched her, amused at her antics. "Scrambled, omelet, sunny side up, or what?"

"_Breakfast_ for dinner?"

"Remember, loosen up." She said shaking a finger at him. "Now, what do you want before I don't feed you?"

"Hmmm, omelet. Then we can share."

He moved to help her, and they had their food in no time before heading back to the entertainment room, omelets and sodas in hand.

"Let's watch an action movie this time." She suggested to his surprise, but he figured she didn't like to cry in front of people so he listened to her without question. They settled into the couch again, enjoying the food and the movie. She fell asleep on him before it was over, so he got up and cleaned their mess before turning off the entertainment system and the television. Klaus then lifted Caroline into his arms, her curling into her chest immediately, and carried her to their bed.

_I will never let you go_.

**A/N: Couldn't resist him getting her a horse. I apologize for the lack of Originals in this chapter, but they should make an appearance again soon. Sorry if the Italian is off (and my knowledge of horses), I used Google translate (the horse stuff just came from what limited knowledge I already have). The English is:**

**Hello Mr. Mikaelson. Welcome back. What can I do for you today?**

**My girlfriend and I would like to see the horses. We are looking to buy.**

**Wonderful, sir, right this way.**

**One moment. Allow me to introduce you to my companion Miss Caroline Forbes.**

**What type of horse for the lady, sir?**

**More docile than my preferences. She's never ridden before.**

**I think I have just the horse.**

**Take care of her.**

**Star**

**I'll take it from here. The paths are still the same, correct?**

**Thunder**

**You are the most beautiful creature in existence. I am unworthy of you. **

**And yeah, he was naked in front of her *devilish grin*. I'm enjoying the sexual tension far too much. So next time Rome like he promised her, and yes he will take her to Paris and Tokyo before this story is finished. Until next time….**


	8. Chapter 7

**You guys are all the best and I love you all! I officially have over 10,000 views, so I wrote the chapter earlier (a lot earlier) than I had planned. Special thanks to my sister for doing the research for this chapter on her day off while I was in class! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries (but they better give me some Klaroline soon).**

Something was stroking her cheek. She brushed the hand away and burrowed further into the covers. A laugh sounded above her. "Caroline, love, you have to wake up."

She opened her eyes with a groan. "What time is it?"

He looked at his phone. "Almost seven, but I want to show you Rome properly so we should leave as soon as we can. It's a couple hours drive."

She sat up in bed, excited to be seeing a city she had always wanted to visit but very annoyed at him waking her up early again. "Fine, but I'm showering today, and tomorrow you're going to let me sleep in."

"All right sweetheart, go take your shower. I'll be downstairs waiting for you." He stayed to make sure she didn't hop back into bed as soon as he left the room.

"Coffee." She demanded with a glance I his direction as she walked towards the bathroom.

"Any requests for breakfast?"

"Don't care as long as it's food."

He waited until he heard the shower running before heading downstairs to fix them some breakfast.

Caroline let the hot water run over her, waking her up. _I don't remember going to bed; Klaus must have carried me._ She smiled at the thought.

She took her time getting dresses, wanting to annoy him in retaliation of waking her up early for two days straight. _I hate mornings._

When she was ready, she headed downstairs only to be stopped by Elijah.

"Good morning Caroline." He greeted when he saw her.

"Morning Elijah." She returned with a smile.

"May I speak with you in private for a moment?" She nodded her head at him, and he led her to the library, _that she definitely wanted to spend some more time in latter. _"I wanted to speak to you about Elena. I know she's angry with you, and you with her, and was wondering if I might be able to speak to her for you?"

Okay, what was that about? Where Elena and Elijah closer than either of them let on? "I don't see what you can do. She thinks that Klaus is pure evil and she's unwilling to see it any other way."

He considered for a moment before replying. "I could tell her about the changes I have seen in Niklaus since he started spending time with you. Maybe that would help; I truly think that she is just worried about your safety."

"Do you think he would ever hurt me?" She was almost positive he wouldn't; she had been the tool that had almost gotten him killed and she was sure that if she had been any other person, she wouldn't be alive right now. Caroline thought, though, that Elijah could confirm her suspicions.

He glanced at her sharply as if to read the intentions behind the question. "No, I really don't, but as you said Elena has only seen one side to him."

"Why do you want to help me with Elena anyway?" It didn't make sense; her and Elijah really never spoke. _He seems rather attracted to her. Maybe he's doing it for Elena…_

"I have a suspicion that you miss your friend. It will eventually, once your anger at her goes away, sadden you and my brother's happiness is tied to yours. I want my brother to be happy."

_Well, that makes sense._ "I guess if you want you can talk to her. I don't know if she'll listen, but maybe it's worth a try."

"Excellent. I believe Niklaus is waiting for you in the kitchen." She thanked him and made her way to the kitchen.

"There you are, I was worried you got lost." He turned, smiling at her before placing a mug in her hand. "Coffee, I wasn't sure how you liked it, but I figured cream and sugar."

"Well, you weren't wrong, but I like a _lot_ of sugar." She took a sip. _Damn_. It was exactly the way she liked it. Klaus smiled victoriously and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"What took you so long?" _He doesn't even sound annoyed. Probably woke me up earlier than he needed to because he knew I'd do this. Sneaky Original._

"Well it was on purpose as revenge for waking me up early yet again, but I also had a quick conversation with Elijah."

"Oh, about what?" _Was that jealousy she heard?_

She remembered Tatia then and her relationship with both Klaus and Elijah and was quick to assuage his worries. "He wanted to know if he could talk to Elena for me about our argument."

"Oh, well that was nice of him. Food's almost ready." Elijah wandered into the kitchen at that, followed by Rebekah, and then finally a very shirtless Kol.

"Why do you always have to wake up so early Nik?" Kol complained as he walked to the table to join his other siblings.

"I know, right?" Caroline concurred as she followed him to the table while Klaus glowered at them before setting a plate of pancakes on the table.

Rebekah joined in. "Don't encourage him Caroline. He's only tired because he was up most of the night texting your witchy friend."

"That's when she's up!" Kol defended himself.

"If you are all quite done acting like children, I suggest eating before Elijah and I finish all the food."

When they were done Klaus led Caroline out to the car. "Ready to see Rome love?"

"As I'll ever be." She curled into the seat and watched him drive for a while. "So, in all seriousness, do you always get up this early?"

"Yeah, a thousand years of running isn't exactly conducive to sleeping long hours. That and people usually strike at night strategically."

They rode in silence after that, just happy to be in each other's company. He parked the car at another of his properties a little outside of the city and they walked the rest of the way.

He took her to the Coliseum first after giving into her when she said she wanted a camera to document the trip. He loved seeing her face light up when she saw it for the first time. He grabbed the camera from her and asked a passerby to take a picture of him. "I can't believe you willingly took a picture with me."

"Isn't that a couple-y thing to do?" She sensed the uncertainty in his voice and hugged him quickly.

"Yes it is." She confirmed looking up at him. "I just didn't expect you to want to."

"I want you to know that I am invested in this relationship, and I know how much some semblance of normality means to you." Even if he didn't necessarily agree with her, she deserved to have as normal of a life as she could.

"Thank you." She whispered as she pulled his head down for a kiss before leading him the rest of the way to the Coliseum. "Were you around when this was built?" She asked cheekily once they were inside with the rest of the tourists.

"I'm just a little younger than that sweetheart." Klaus mock glared at her. "In truth it's only a couple decades older than I am."

Next, they went to the Trevi Fountain. Caroline pulled two coins out of her purse. "Make a wish with me?"

"Alright." He agreed, taking the coin she offered to him. "I was here when Pope Nicholas V ordered the mending of the fountain."

"What year was that?" She looked at him with interest.

"It was 1453 I believe." He glanced at her as they both prepared to toss in their coins. "You know there's a legend that if you throw a coin in the fountain and make a wish, you will one day return to Rome."

She smiled at him before tossing her coin in and he followed suit. "I'd like that."

Their next destination was Villa Borghese, and they wandered the grounds for a while, but he specifically wanted to show her the Borghese Gallery. Caroline spent her time examining all the paintings. "I always wished I could draw, but every time I look at these great works of art I realize I could never be that good and stop trying."

"I think people put too much stock on what is considered beautiful art sometimes. The attempt to put your thoughts on paper can be just as beautiful." He ran his hands down her arms. "If you want to do something, don't let the world stop you." He breathed into her ear.

She contemplated his words for a moment as he leaned down to trace kisses on her neck. "Will you help me?"

He smiled against her neck. "Anything for you."

They exited the museum and strolled through the gardens for a while, Caroline taking pictures along the way. "You ready to go sweetheart." She nodded her consent and he led her out.

"Where to next?" She questioned as they walked hand in hand back into the city.

He considered for a moment. "I thought we could go get some ice cream and then take the legend of the wolf tour."

Caroline quirked a brow at him in question. "Legend of the wolf, huh?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "I appreciate the irony, but it's not a werewolf thing."

She laughed at him. "Sure its not."

They got ice cream when they found a vendor and sat down to eat it. "So, how many times have you been in Italy?"

"Several times over the centuries. I like it here, the history, the art." They had both finished by now, but neither made a move to get up.

"Is it awfully hard to watch everything change around you while you don't change?" She asked in a small voice.

"Sometimes more than others. I haven't ever been able to stay in one place for very long because of my agelessness and because I was on the run. I always had to adjust to whatever culture I moved to, which is hard. It's difficult too to watch people destroy what took others so long to create." His tone had taken a wistful property that she didn't fail to notice.

"I wonder what the world will be like in a couple centuries." She said leaning against his arm.

"I don't know love. It will be different though if my experience has taught me anything. People will always remain mostly the same though no matter what changes around them."

That was a comforting thought at least. Some things wouldn't change. "Do you ever wish you had never become a vampire?"

He considered not answering her, but knew she deserved the truth from him. "I used to. I thought it would be better if I were to die. I didn't want my siblings to though, so I had to find a way to dispose of Mikael. I'm glad I didn't though because I got to meet you." Before she could respond he continued on. "Ready to go love?"

She could take a hint when she saw one. "I guess, but we'll talk about this latter."

They walked to the Palatine. "Ever going to explain to me what exactly this is if it doesn't involve werewolves?"

"You've learned about Romulus and Remus right?"

"Yeah, they founded Rome and they were raised by a she-wolf… oh." _Caroline sometimes you need to use your head more._

They followed the line of tourists going into the cave as he explained. "Well, according to legend, Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, found a cave beneath his home. He said it was the place where the she-wolf raised the boys." Klaus was satisfied by the astonished look on Caroline's face when they stepped into the cave. "He had it decorated to please the people."

"Wow, it's amazing!" They went back up and toured the House of Augustus. "I've always loved things like this. Seeing old homes, imagining the history and the story behind them. I've only ever gotten to see things like this on TV, though."

"I'm glad you finally get to see one in person, then." They exited the grounds. "Before you ask, I thought you might enjoy the Pantheon."

"And what else do you have planned?" _Its like pulling teeth with him for crying out loud; I just want to know what we're doing._

"St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, Hadrian's Villa, and then dinner. But I'm keeping the location of that secret love." She pouted at him, but at least she had discovered the majority of his plans.

Caroline had loved everywhere they went that day, but the Sistine Chapel was by far her favorite. The paintings were beautiful to say the least, but she loved them even more when Klaus told her how he had compelled Michelangelo to let him help with some of them.

"I had heard that there was a commission to paint them, and I wanted to be a part of history. It was a whim, but I'm glad you're impressed." He pointed out the main parts he had helped with as he spoke.

She remembered their conversation from the night before. "So you have shared your art with the world!"

He smiled at her and shook his head. "It doesn't count if the world doesn't know it was you who did it sweetheart."

"Well, I know now and I think that they are the best parts."

He thought she deserved a kiss at that. "If I get this kind of treatment every time I compliment you, I'll never stop."

"It's good to know someone thinks highly of me for once."

When they were done, Klaus went off to get them something to drink (of the non-blood variety) because Caroline swore she would die (again when he pointed out she was already dead) if she didn't get something soon. There was no one else around, the light was fading and most of the tourists had either gone to dinner or to see the nighttime attractions. She was waiting on a bench for him, when a man sat down next to her.

She was hoping he would go away soon or at the very least ignore her presence, but her luck seemed to have run out today. "Hello." He greeted, which surprised her that he automatically spoke English to her because she could here the Italian accent very clearly.

_I will not be rude no matter how much I __**don't**__want to talk to him. I am Miss Mystic Falls after all. _"Hello."

"What is a beautiful thing like you doing here in Rome all by yourself?" She tried not to cringe at him calling her a 'thing'.

"I'm just waiting for my boyfriend, he went to get us something to drink." He was making her nervous, a very hard feat now that she was a vampire.

"You're dating _him_?" He spat out. Now she was really freaked out.

She rose to leave and find Klaus. "I don't know who you think you are, but I think it's best if you just leave me alone." She turned to walk away, but his hand shot out and grabbed her arm. _Why can't I… werewolf. _She turned her head back toward him. "I think it would be in your best interest to let go of me."

"Your kind is not welcome here. Especially not when they keep company with the worst monster of all." He growled at her. _Where was Klaus?_

"Well then, you should know he'll kill you if you don't let go of me this instant."

"Maybe I'll just take you back to my house if he cares that much. Tomorrow's the full moon, and my bite is lethal to you."

"Seriously, let _go_!" _I will not be bitten again by anyone but Klaus! _She decided to analyze that thought after she was out of this situation.

"I believe she told you to let her go mate." There was her hero. He didn't have any drinks with him, but Caroline guessed she could forgive him given the circumstances.

"After what you did to my family? I had cousins in the states that died because of your failed attempt to turn them into hybrids like you. No, I think this one deserves to die since I can't kill you."

Klaus growled at the man, low and dangerous. "I can either make your death incredibly swift or incredibly slow and painful. The choice is yours."

The man had the audacity to laugh. "If killing her gives you the pain I felt at losing my family, I'll take the slow, painful death."

Klaus had had enough of this. He flashed over, quicker than either of them could follow, broke the man's hand to release his hold on his Caroline before grabbing him by the neck and slamming him into a wall. "Did you really think you could get away with challenging me? Trying to take what is mine from me? I believe you requested a slow, painful death am I right?"

"Nik." Her voice broke through the haze of anger that had settled around him; he had heard her as he was coming back with the drinks she had requested. He had known she was in danger, causing him to drop the drinks. He was so scared that she would be taken from him forever, just when he had found his source of happiness. "Just kill him please; I just want to go to dinner and forget this happened."

He nodded his head at her; he could deny her nothing that she wanted. "You are very lucky that she is a compassionate person." And then his heart was in Klaus' and. He quickly threw it away and dragged the body behind a dumpster before turning back to her. "Are you alright, love?"

"Yes, thank you for not torturing him." Caroline had known that she could have saved the man's life, but she had already forced him to stay his hand twice with Damon and with Tyler and she didn't want to push her luck anymore. He pulled her against his side without his bloodied hand.

"I did it for you, not for him." They walked away from the scene walking until they found a fountain for him to inconspicuously wash his hand off. "Ready for dinner?"

"Yeah. Now I'm hungry and thirsty." He was glad to see the smile back on her face.

"Sorry about that. I had a drink for you, but seemed to misplace it when I heard a certain blonde damsel asking a man to let go of her arm." There was something in his tone…

She glanced over at him as they walked. "You're never going to let me out of your sight again, are you?"

"I don't think you would be too happy with that sweetheart, so I won't do that to you. I am however considering the benefits of teaching you some self-defense." He held the door of the restaurant open for her.

She just wanted to forget what could have happened if Klaus hadn't intervened. "And who would teach me?"

"Why, me of course." He gave the waitress his name; he had made reservations for whenever he happened to show up. It seemed the managers had received a rather large donation from the Mikaelson family and were very appreciative of it.

Once they were seated at their table, removed from the rest of the restaurant she noticed, she read the name on the back of the menu. "The Da Remo? Isn't this supposed to be the city's best pizza or something?"

"That's the rumor, let's see how good it really is." He ordered for them once Caroline told him what she wanted. "So what's the verdict?" Klaus asked once their pizza had been brought out.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to eat American pizza again, that's for sure." It was so good; she could definitely get used to the food here. Her phone vibrated in her purse. "Stefan?"

She shot him a questioning glance. "You weren't in school on Friday or today, maybe he's worried. Go ahead and answer if you want."

She considered his theory quickly. "Maybe you're right. Hello?"

"Caroline, thank God. We were worried that maybe Klaus had done something to you." She was surprised when Elena's voice was the one on the other side of the phone. She clenched her teeth at her comment and saw Klaus do the same.

"No, in fact Elena my _boyfriend_ saved me yet again today." She heard Elena gasp and recognized Damon's scoff in the background. "Maybe I just didn't want to put up with getting glared at anymore." And with that she went to hang up.

"Caroline wait! I- I wanted to apologize for the way I acted the other night. You were right, and I really have no place judging you. I'm not saying I'm all right with your _relationship_ with Klaus, but you're still my friend. Can we have a girl's night, maybe?"

Caroline sighed. "Now's not really the best time. I'm sort of on the other side of the world Elena."

"What?! Are you with _him_?"

"I needed to get away, so Klaus took me to Italy." She didn't want to deal with this right now. "Look, can we talk latter? I'm sort of in the middle of dinner."

"Caroline, are you sure you're alright?" _Elena you are getting on my last nerve!_

She gritted her teeth. "Yes, Elena I am fine. Now I really have to go." She hung up and glanced at Klaus before focusing back on her pizza. "Sorry about that."

"I understand love. She's only worried for your safety." He didn't know if he could stand the doppelganger being around for eternity though. He hoped that if there was a cure she would take it just so he wouldn't have to put up with what he could tell would be a pattern.

Caroline groaned suddenly. "This day was wonderful, why did the night have to be ruined?"

He reached across the table and grabbed one of her hands in his and flashed her his dimpled smile. "Its not over yet sweetheart."

"What'd you have in mind?" She questioned suspiciously.

"Would you like to go to a club?" The light that came into her eyes was enough to let him know that she was more than willing. He paid the tab and they walked back out into the night together.

He was regretting his decision to take her here. Sure, they had danced before, but never like this. Her body pressed completely against his was sweet torture. But he would not trade these moments for anything in the world.

Caroline was enjoying seeing Klaus loosen up a little; and he could dance. She knew how her body was affecting him and liked the power of knowing she was the only person in the world that could do this to him. She especially liked when other men tried to get her to dance with them, mostly the really drunk ones because everyone else seemed too afraid to approach him, and Klaus would have none of it, pulling her closer to him and glaring at the offending party. _At least he hasn't killed anyone else._ "I'm going to go get something to drink." She finally shouted over the music.

"Allow me to escort you?" At her nod, he led her off the dance floor to the bar. "What would you like sweetheart?"

"Something that's not in America." He nodded in appreciation at her trying to widen her scope.

"Italy is more known for its wine than its beer." He made a few suggestions before she picked, and he ordered for them. "Enjoying yourself again love?"

She took a sip of her wine and he followed suit. "Oh yes, I forgot about what happened. Thank you for distracting me."

"Oh it was no problem at all, trust me." They smiled at what they both knew were the implications behind his statement. "Do you like the wine?" He needed to distract himself from remembering the feeling of her body against his, wondering… he shoved the thoughts away.

"Yes, you have excellent taste." Caroline wasn't surprised though; he _had_ been around long enough to know what was good in the world.

"Yes, that extends to all areas of my life; art, food, music, _women_." She glared at him till he realized his mistake. "Well, one in particular anyway."

"Nice save." She finished her drink and set the glass back on the bar. Caroline smiled at him though to let him know she wasn't mad at him.

He smiled back before finishing his own drink. "More dancing or would you like to head home?"

She thought for a minute; if she danced with him any longer there was only one way this night would end. And as much as she wanted him, she wasn't quite ready for that yet. "I'm tired, let's go home."

Klaus was simultaneously relieved and disappointed. He knew what she did, that he would take her to the nearest hotel and ravish her if they continued to dance as they had been. He knew that she needed time though; she had just broken up with her boyfriend really, and she needed to know that he didn't just want her for sex. So he would wait until she was ready. He would not push her.

It surprised and amazed him the lengths he was willing to go for this girl. Klaus had never done this before; when he wanted someone in the past, he would seduce them as quickly as possible and then move on to the next girl. She was different though, and she deserved better than that. He wanted forever with her.

She fell asleep on the car ride home, and he relished in the opportunity to hold her in his arms as he had the night before when he carried her into the house.

"Looks like Nik isn't getting any again tonight." Kol teased from his seat in the front room where he sat texting.

"Shut it Kol." Klaus whispered menacingly as he walked up the stairs.

"It's not like you'll be 'getting any' either Kol. You're too enthralled by witchy to notice any other females lately." Klaus blocked out Rebekah and Kol's continued argument as he placed Caroline on the bed and removed her shoes.

He lay beside her and examined her sleeping face for a moment. Her nightmares had gone away, a fact that made him glad. He had been the one to break them, not the pathetic hybrid boy she had been dating before. Klaus pulled her closer to him when she mumbled his name in her sleep, and he kissed her forehead. He got up then as quietly as he could so as to not disturb her and joined his siblings downstairs.

"Did you find the sword then?" He questioned without preamble. Elijah motioned him to the desk. There it was. "Will the one be enough Bekah, or will we need to retrieve all of them?"

"Alexander made it seem like it only required one. Even though they were a 'brotherhood' they each sought their own name to be remembered, and that does not seem to imply they would need to work together." He nodded his head at her logic as he examined the sword.

"Thank you for finding it Bekah, I know how painful this must have been for you." His siblings hid their shock at his show of compassion. They all shared a glance as though to say _Caroline_.

Whether their brother knew it or not, she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

**A/N: So yay for Rome, and the return of the Originals, and some drama amidst my fluff! I know lots of stuff happened, so I hope it was all paced well and such. Elena and Caroline are not done with their conflict yet, and it won't be that easy to get her to change her mind about Klaus. Thank you again for reading! Until next time…**


	9. Chapter 8

**Thanks to everybody who read and reviewed the last chapter! I'm glad everybody seems to be enjoying this story so much, so without further ado…**

***Thoughts are in italics, text messages bold italics***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 8**

They spent the rest of the week learning about each other more as they explored Italy, visiting vineyards going riding again. Waking up in each other's arms; after the first two days, Klaus decided it would probably be better if he let her sleep in but he couldn't miss that valuable time with her. One day, Klaus had 'business' (they all felt it was safer to not ask) and Rebekah and Kol and taken her shopping. Caroline felt like she had siblings, and she loved it. It felt like she had a family, different from her own certainly, but still good. It was perfect.

The plane ride was filled with Kol teasing them every time they kissed, which always made Klaus threaten him quite creatively, when he wasn't texting Bonnie. _At the very least they can be friends. She needs a friend right now._ Rebekah just ignored all of them; it seemed Matt had decided to give her another chance, so the whole plane ride she was texting him. Elijah smirked at Kol's teasing behind his book, but otherwise did not involve himself. Caroline was not about to let Kol ruin her make out session with Klaus, but she growled angrily every time Klaus pulled away from her lips to threaten him. Klaus just smirked that before reclaiming her lips, happy in the knowledge that she wanted him.

Caroline was afraid if they went to the mansion for the night though that Kol would not make it to morning (Klaus' anger had grown as the hours went on but so did Kol's attempts to annoy the couple), so she suggested that they spend the night at her house. She had to go to school the next day anyway, and if the brother's spent the whole night arguing she knew that she wouldn't get any sleep. Klaus agreed, but not before breaking Kol's hand. Elijah and Rebekah chose to ignore the violence just this once, and bid the couple goodnight.

The next morning, she got ready for school as he watched disgruntled after spending a week with her to know that he wouldn't get to see her all day. "I think you can survive a couple of hours without me."

"But the whole time you're gone I'll be thinking about what we could be doing if you had decided against going to school. I won't get anything done." _Was Klaus actually pouting at her?_ Would wonders never cease?

She rolled her eyes at him. "You can have me all to yourself on the weekend. That should keep you satisfied for now."

"Alright, but I intend to kiss you until you get rid of your foolish notions of school being important." He offered to drive her after that, wanting to spend as much time with her as he possibly could, and she accepted. "You aren't worried about anyone seeing?"

"Let them see." When he pulled into the parking lot she kissed him goodbye and promised to come over to the mansion when he was done.

She walked into the building, already missing Klaus' presence and thinking that she should have taken him up on his offer of another movie day. _No, I need to finish high school. It's important to my mom, and it's what my dad would have wanted. I've worked hard for this._ She spotted Matt and Rebekah talking and laughing by her locker, so Caroline figured she'd lost her lunch buddy.

"Caroline!" She turned to find Elena running down the hall towards her. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

She thought for a moment. Elena had been her friend for a very long time, and though she wouldn't give up her newfound relationship for her, she didn't want to lose her friendship. "Yeah, sure."

They went to the library and found a private table. "So, how was Italy?"

Caroline's eyes lit up with the mention of where she had been. "Oh Elena, it was beautiful. I loved it!"

"I have to apologize Care. I've been wanting to for a while. I let my anger cloud my judgment. You were right; I have no right to judge you for who you chose to care about. Elijah called and talked to me, he said Klaus was different around you?"

There was her friend. When she had been angry, no trace of the girl Caroline loved had been there. This person she could pour out her heart to. "He is, he really is. With me he's funny and protective, and loving. Honestly I can't imagine being without him anymore. I think I'm falling for him." She admitted the last part in a rush, and seemed shocked by it.

"Well, I'll try to give him a chance for you. This doesn't mean I forgive him or that I like him, but I love you and I want you to be happy." They hugged and agreed to make plans with Bonnie for a girl's night.

"Hey, do you think we can invite Rebekah? I know you're made a her, and she's mad at you, but she really just wants friends Elena." Elena grudgingly agreed with her, and they parted ways with Elena going to find Stefan.

The day passed in a blur. Rebekah and Matt joined Caroline, Stefan, Elena, Bonnie and Jeremy for lunch. It was a little tense, but Caroline hoped that one day they could all be friends. Stefan pulled her aside after they were done. "Could you come to the boarding house after school? Damon and I want to talk to you."

She hesitated to agree, she had promised Klaus she would go over after all. "It's about Elena, Caroline. Please, it won't take long."

"Fine, I'll come over."

Klaus was getting worried. School should have ended hours ago, and Caroline still was not here. _Should I go look for her?_ Maybe she just got sidetracked by her friends, Elena had wanted to talk to her after all. His phone vibrated in his pocket. It was a text from Caroline. _Thank God, she's all right…_

_**I don't think we should see each other anymore.**_

He stared at his phone for a minute in disbelief. _She doesn't want to see me anymore?_ They had been so happy this morning it just didn't make sense; unless… it had all been an act? _No, for what purpose? _But the text was very clear. She didn't want him anymore. After everything, he had tried so hard for her and she didn't want him anymore. He threw the glass he had been drinking from across the room, barely registering when it shattered against the wall because he had already set to destroying most of the furniture in the room.

It wasn't enough, though. He had to get out of that house, out of Mystic Falls. There were too many memories from their short time together there. He grabbed the keys for one of his cars _not the one he always took Caroline in_ and drove and drove. His father's words from before they were turned played in his mind. "I have never wanted you; no one will ever want His father's words from before they were turned played in his mind. "I have never wanted you; no one will ever want _you_, boy."

He had let himself believe that the baby vampire could possibly care for him; he had opened up to her and let her into his life. _And his heart_. And she didn't want him.

_I will never let myself care again._

You see, what had happened was this. Caroline had walked over to the boarding house, as per Stefan's request. In hindsight, she should have texted Klaus to tell him where she was going. But she hadn't. Anyway, she walked in the door and called for Stefan or Damon, but got no response, so she went into the living room to start looking for them. And then she felt the telltale prick of a needle in her neck before feeling the affects of the vervaine spreading through her blood system. _Seriously?_ She had time to think right before everything went black.

She woke up, still weak from the vervaine and recognized the cell in the boarding house's basement. And there was Damon holding her phone. She looked at him in horror, guessing at what he was planning on doing. "Ah, Sleeping Beauty finally decides to wake up. Let's send Klaus a little message shall we? How about 'I don't think we should see each other anymore'?" She struggled to get up and stop him but she couldn't. "There we go, send. Trust me Blondie, your better off without him in your life." And he left her there to cry.

She didn't know how long she had been stuck in that room. The vervaine had worn off, but they hadn't given her blood and she could feel her body shutting down. She didn't care though. Damon had come to gloat that Klaus had left town. _He was gone? Right when I was able to admit that I was falling in love with…_ _Elena. Did Elena have something to do with this? I thought she understood!_ Now Caroline was angry. She tried to breath; she had no proof of Elena's involvement, and until she did…

She heard the door being opened, and figured it was probably Damon come to goad her again or Stefan to say that they were only doing this for her own good. "Caroline!"

"Elena?" She questioned weekly as she felt arms wrap around her and help her up, pressing a blood bag into her hand that she hungrily downed. "What's going on?"

"I found out what Stefan and Damon had done, but I played along for the past four days. Kol, Bonnie, Rebekah, Elijah, Matt, Jeremy, and I have been planning how to break you out though." Caroline thought she would sob with relief.

"Thank you." He was still gone though; she noticed his name had not been in Elena's list. If he had known, he wouldn't have left her in here for long after he found out.

Elena seemed to notice where her thoughts had gone as she led her up the stairs and outside to Elijah's waiting car. "We'll get him back, Caroline, don't worry." She then helped her into the back seat, and was surprised to find Kol's arms wrap around her along with Bonnie's. She cried into his shirt.

"Shhh darling, it'll be alright." He soothed as he rocked her back and forth. Rebekah sat up from her place in the trunk (where the Salvatore boys were placed with broken necks) and reached over to stroke her head. Kol glanced up to see Elena's shocked face looking at them from the front. "We see her as a sister. She's good for Nik, and we've all come to love her."

Elijah drove them to the mansion and Kol carried the still crying Caroline inside while the others took care of Damon and Stefan and placed her on one of the couches in the living room. He hurried to the kitchen to grab her another blood bag. "Here you go darling, drink up."

She grabbed his shirt before he could go see what his siblings were planning on doing with the Salvatore brothers. "He'll come back, right? He-he can't believe it!"

"We're going to find him and bring him back to you, don't you worry. We won't let them get away with trying to ruin both of your lives." It was strange for Kol, the urge to comfort someone, but just as this girl had affected Klaus, Bonnie had affected him. They were all changing, and he thought it was for the better.

He walked down to their basement, spotting Bonnie on the way and asking her to go see to her friend, that was a full-fledged dungeon. Connor, the hunter, was in one of the cells, but that wasn't his destination. The torture room however…

"Oh good, you're finally awake." Rebekah's voice spoke from inside of it. He grinned. Let the fun begin…

He walked in smiling; he had grabbed his bat before heading downstairs. "We don't take lightly to people who hurt members of our family. And since you've gotten away with it every time before, I think it's time you pay up."

"Wait." Elena's voice stopped the Originals, and Stefan and Damon both wore matching expressions of relief. "I have something to say to them first. Stefan we're done. That goes for you too Damon. I'm done with both of you. How could you think that this would be all right? Or that I would be okay with it? She's my best friend; you had no right to try to take her choice away from her." With that she turned back to the waiting Originals. "Do what you want to them, I'll be upstairs with Caroline."

Much latter, the four girls sat on the couch watching a movie, three of them trying to get Caroline to smile. She refused though. _Not until he comes back and holds me in his arms and tells me that he doesn't hate me._ The two brothers were still downstairs, which was the real purpose of the movie; trying to cover the screams that was emanating from below the floor. They finally came back up; as much as they wanted to kill Damon and Stefan, they thought they should leave that honor to Klaus once he came back.

"Caroline, I'm going to try to call Niklaus. Would you like to talk to him if he answers?" Elijah's voice broke her out of her inner turmoil at the mention of his name. She nodded her head vigorously, and Rebekah paused the movie. They all listened to the phone ring for several seconds, and Caroline started to lose hope. _I'll never get him back, never_ _see him again_… but then his voice came through.

"What do you want Elijah?" They all breathed a sigh of relief; there had been a very large chance that Klaus would not answer the phone.

"Hello to you too brother."

His voice turned into a growl. "Elijah, you have about ten seconds before I hang up this phone…"

"The text wasn't from Caroline." He said quickly, watching Caroline's face to make sure she wasn't going to break down.

"WHAT?" Klaus roared. "If it wasn't from Caroline, who was it from?"

"It seems Damon and Stefan did not approve of your relationship with her. They locked her in the cellar below their home, vervained her and deprived her of blood, and took her phone to send you that text."

"I'll kill them." All in the room could tell that it was a promise not a threat. "Where is Caroline now?"

"Right here, would you like to speak to her?" Caroline looked at the phone like it would either be her salvation or her death as she waited for his reply.

"Yes, put her on." Elijah handed her the phone. "Sweetheart? Are you alright?"

Oh his voice, it chased away the fear and the despair that had crept in. "Better now. You're coming back right?"

"I'm getting in my car right now." He hesitated for a moment. "I fear you're not going to be very happy with me love."

"What happened?" _What could he possibly have done? _Then a thought hit her. _Did he sleep with someone? _

He hesitated again, making her fear worse. "I drained a few people in my anger I'm afraid."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "We'll discuss your anger issues latter. Just get back here."

"I'm coming love." After they hung up, Klaus hit the steering wheel in anger. _How could I have been so stupid? _He knew why, though. He knew he didn't deserve her caring for him. It was almost like he had been waiting for her to do this, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He pushed his foot down harder on the pedal. _She_ hadn't though; Damon had. He should have let him die from the werewolf poison so long ago it seemed. He should have not accepted Stefan's deal. But then he might not have ever gotten this chance with Caroline. _Everything happens for a reason_. No matter, he would kill them both now, and he would enjoy it.

Caroline was finally smiling a little bit. He was coming back. _He doesn't hate me! _The thought of him hating her had produced the worst feeling of her life. It had been worse than Damon using her, worse than her father torturing her, and worse than finding out Tyler had cheated on her. The thought of him in pain, because she knew,_ she_ _knew, _what Damon's text would do to him, killed her inside. She knew how hard it was for him to let anyone in; even his family at times, and he had willingly opened up for her. A betrayal of that kind, even if she hadn't really been the one to do it, would damage him irreparably. So when Elijah had been on the phone with him, she thought he wouldn't come back. That he would think that she might be the one to end things eventually, and that in an attempt to protect himself he would chose to stay away from her forever.

_He was full of surprises, though. _If their relationship had taught her one thing it had taught her to expect the unexpected. She needed him to be here though, to feel his arms wrap around her and tell her while she could look in his face that he didn't hate her. She hated it, but at times she _was_ insecure, girly Caroline. And this was one of those times. She figured it was warranted; she had been held captive against her will, yet again, and she was allowed to be a traumatized victim for a little while.

What surprised her the most though, was Klaus' sibling's reaction to the situation. She had come to care for them over the trip to Italy, but she had not realized how much she had come to mean to them as well; maybe what she hadn't realized was how much they loved Klaus. It was hard, amidst the death threats, to see sometimes how deep their bond went. She could see it now though; in caring for her for Klaus while he wasn't here to do it himself because, as Elijah had so astutely pointed out, he only seemed to be happy when she was happy.

All six, eight once Matt and Jeremy arrived after their shift at the Grill ended, of them decided to sleep on the couches to wait for Klaus' arrival. Caroline didn't want to sleep alone, and they all agreed that they were comfortable where they were anyway. It was nice; even Elena and Rebekah seemed to be making an effort to be nice to each other and Bonnie was looking at Kol like she was seeing him for the first time. They were a family now; the fear and anger had somehow managed to connect them and bring them together. A messed up family to be sure, they all had their issues, but they knew in that moment that they would always be there for each other like this if one of them needed them.

Klaus walked in just as they were making breakfast the next morning. Caroline had heard the front door open and she had run, faster than she ever had before, and propelled herself into his arms. _This was home_. He put his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head, both trying to get as close to each other as they possibly could. The four days spent apart from each other had been torture for both of them. He looked at the crowd that had gathered in the entryway and knew that they were all in some way responsible for Caroline being back in his arms. "Thank you for taking care of her."

Elena for her part was shocked. Not just by Klaus' acknowledgement of them all, but by the look on his face as he held Caroline. It was like he was a different person, and Elena finally understood what both Elijah and Caroline had told her; he was different with her and he looked more… human holding her. And all her doubts about his intentions with her friend left. She knew looking at his face that he would never hurt Caroline intentionally and that he genuinely cared for her.

They all ate breakfast in the formal dining room since no other table was large enough to sit all of them. Caroline and Klaus maintained constant contact with each other; either they were holding hands, pressing each other's arms against the other, and a hand on the other's leg, anything to just feel the other's presence.

When they were done, Klaus pulled Elijah to the side. "Are they downstairs?"

"We thought we would leave them alive for you to take care of." Caroline looked over at this. She had heard of course the plans to kill Damon and Stefan but it hadn't registered until now.

"No, you can't! You can't kill them!" Everyone looked at her in shock. "They were wrong, I know that, but in some cruel, obscene way, they were doing it because they cared."

"Sweetheart-"

She cut Klaus off angrily. "Don't you dare sweetheart me into letting you kill them! They've helped all of us; they've saved all of us at one point or another. Torture them all you like, hell compel them to leave us all alone, but don't kill them. Please."

Klaus looked her face over and nodded his head at her. "And you four are all right with me torturing them?" He asked, addressing Elena, Bonnie, Matt, and Jeremy.

Elena spoke for all of them since she had the most emotional interest in the brothers. "After what they did to Caroline? I thought they deserved to die, but I guess it's really Caroline's choice."

Klaus was impressed with the doppelganger. _Elena, _his mind reminded him, because judging from the looks Elijah was giving her, Klaus would have to get used to her presence. He had thought that all that mattered to her was Damon and Stefan, but her obvious concern for Caroline over them made him appreciate her a little bit more. "Alright, but I'm compelling them to leave town and never bother any of us again after I'm done with them." He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed his credit card to Rebekah. "You all go to the movie or something, Elijah, Kol, and I can handle this."

Caroline rushed over to him and latched onto his arm. "I don't want to leave you."

He cupped her cheek in his other hand and faced her as though they were the only two in the room. "Caroline, I'm keeping them alive for you because you asked. I don't want you to have to hear this though, not with everything you've already been through. It might bring back the memories." He kissed her forehead.

She thought about fighting to stay here with him, but it was a losing battle. There were many times when she could get her way with him, but not when it came to her safety and peace of mind. He was uncompromising on those things. "All right, but you owe me." She released her hold on his arm with that and turned to walk away, but this time it was him who stopped her.

He pulled her closer to him, and lowered his head to hers. "How about I start paying up now?" And their lips finally joined. He kept it from getting too passionate, aware of their audience, but they were still both breathless when they broke apart. "I'll see you latter love."

Caroline could hardly focus on the movie; her mind kept wandering back to Klaus. She hoped he stayed true to his promise and didn't kill them. _Why are you so adamant about protecting them?_ Well, she knew the answer to that one. She cared for them both still, and didn't want them to die for trying to protect her, even if she didn't need them to. She worried, though. Damon was… well Damon, and he knew how to push Klaus' buttons. It was possible that he would make him angry enough to snap. She couldn't think like that, though. She had to trust him.

The movie ended, and Caroline honestly had no idea of the plot or what had happened. Rebekah pulled out her phone and stepped away to call one of her brothers to see if it was safe to come back yet. "All right, they said it was finished and we can go back."

The group piled into the car. "You know Rebekah, you're not so bad when you're not trying to murder us."

"And you're not so bad when you aren't stabbing me in the back Elena." It was odd to here them teasing about such serious subjects, but Caroline accepted it. Nothing was normal with the Originals.

Klaus was outside waiting for them when they got back. "How'd you enjoy the movie love?"

She glanced sheepishly at the ground. "Well, I ummm didn't really pay attention to it."

He pulled her into his arms as he chuckled. "They're alive. Elijah took them to their house to give them time to pack. They won't bother you again." Rebekah came over and handed him his card back. "You're all welcome to stay if you would like. I'm sure we can find something to do."

He was trying to be cordial with her friends for her. It meant a lot, and she beamed at him. He returned her smile before continuing. "We could order Chinese takeout and have a movie marathon."

The group agreed and they all headed inside together. Kol came down the stairs as they walked in. "Are you all staying then?"

Bonnie stayed behind explained Klaus' invitation to him and when she was done he led her into the family room. "Guess you're stuck sitting next to me darling." The couples, Klaus and Caroline, Matt and Rebekah, and the recently returned Elijah with Elena and Jeremy, had all claimed their own separate couches.

"I don't mind." Before anyone could comment she continued on, "So, what are we watching?"

Caroline spoke up, the disbelief heavy in her tone. "They've never seen Harry Potter, so we are exposing them to our modern culture."

"Well darling, Nik was too concentrated on breaking his curse to actually enjoy life, and the rest of us were in boxes for decades so you can't really blame us." Klaus looked ready to get up and pummel him, but Caroline stopped him with a glare and a hand to his arm.

Rebekah saw this and decided to try and save her brother. "Shut up Kol, before Nik puts another dagger in you."

"Yes, can we please just enjoy the movie without the teasing for once Kol?" Caroline was enjoying being with everyone and she didn't want Kol to make Klaus angry enough that he scared everyone off.

He crossed his arms petulantly from his position on the couch making Bonnie laugh at him. "Fine, don't appreciate my wit."

The Originals all greatly enjoyed the first Harry Potter movie, and all agreed to watching all of them together over the next couple of days. Kol left to walk Bonnie home and Elijah drove Elena and Jeremy to their home. Matt and Rebekah said goodbye to each other and she headed up for bed, leaving Klaus and Caroline alone for the first time. He led her up to his room and shut the door.

"I missed you so much. I thought you would hate me-"

He cut her off. "I could _never _hate you Caroline. I was angry and hurt by what I thought you did, but I couldn't make myself hate you no matter how hard I tried to. I won't lie, I wanted to. I thought it would take away the pain I was feeling if I could just make myself hate you. But I couldn't."

"Thank you for being honest with me." She considered if she should tell him what she was thinking, and knew that if she didn't tell him she might regret it for the rest of her existence; she was scared that he didn't feel the same though. "I realized something because of these past couple of days. And if I don't tell you now I don't know if I'll ever be able to. I love you Nik."

And he said nothing. Of all of the reactions she had played out in her head, this one had never crossed her mind. "Could you please say something?"

He seemed to snap out of his trance and gathered her in his arms. "Oh sweetheart, I never thought anyone would tell me that. I'm sorry for not responding, I was just a little shocked is all." He pulled back so he could look her in the eyes. "I love you too Caroline."

And they couldn't control themselves anymore after that. It was like they exploded with passion, needing to kiss each other. It was more than anything she had ever experienced before, but she wanted more than kisses. She pulled away. "Is now the right time, right place, right equipment?"

He laughed at her comment before smirking devilishly. "If you're ready love. If it's what you really want."

She didn't answer, just pulled him in for another kiss, and another and another. It was all the answer he needed. There was ripping and tearing of clothes, their desire to be close to each other stripping every rational thought that they held. They kissed and learned each other's body's, engaging in the dance as old as time before finally becoming one.

Much latter, she sighed contentedly in his arms her head resting on his bare chest. "I love you Nik."

He smiled and pulled her closer. "As I love you."

_The man who couldn't love, who didn't deserve love, had found it in this girl._

**A/N: So yeah, they had sex. I hope this was okay; I'm not comfortable with going into any further detail than that. I know it was a little soon, but they almost lost each other, so… And I discovered that I cannot write angst. I much prefer the fluff. This plot was supposed to take several chapters to be resolved, but I just couldn't do it. So, back to fluffy stuff next chapter.**

**I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to any of my readers that are Delena or Stelena supporters for effectively ruining either of their chances in this story. I personally do not care who Elena ends up with on the show as long as I get Klaroline, but the majority of people requested Elejah so… that's what you got. **

**Until next time…**


	10. Chapter 9

**Glad everybody liked last the last chapter; it was arguably my favorite! Thanks to all the faithful readers and reviewers, and welcome to any new people!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 9**

Things returned to normal in the weeks after that, well as normal as things could get in Mystical Falls anyway what with vampires, hybrids, and witches. _Oh well, at least life is interesting in Mystic Falls now. _She thought with a shrug.

Caroline had basically moved into the mansion with Klaus, which annoyed and angered her mother and caused a huge fight (it seemed that Liz was not quite ready to lose her daughter yet) but when she promised she would stay in town until after graduation Liz relented; she worked a lot and didn't get to see Caroline all that often anyway and she figured she should get used to not being able to see her daughter as often since the town would soon start to notice that Caroline and Klaus were not ageing and they would have to leave Mystic Falls completely.

Caroline still spent some nights in her old room, but Klaus was always there because they couldn't stand to be apart for long (especially not after she spent all day at school, a fact which annoyed Klaus more now that they were intimate with each other than it had before), and it was only when they needed to escape from his siblings… well mostly Kol. He teased them mercilessly after the time he had walked into Klaus' bedroom to ask him a question only to find the couple engaging in activities that one should never see their siblings engaging in.

Of course, Kol then had to go and tell everyone in their group what he had seen. Klaus and Caroline, in her embarrassment ("Nothing embarrasses _me_ sweetheart"), had left for the weekend and remained many centuries into the future tight lipped on where exactly they had run off too. (He took her to a hotel in New York City; she had wanted to shop, it was New York after all, but he had managed to persuade her to stay in bed.)

They spent their nights further learning each other's bodies. It was different than it had been with Tyler; with him it had been… well, all about him. Klaus _worshiped_ her body. She knew with him that it wasn't because he needed release but because he wanted to feel connected to her in everyway that he could and she wanted that as well; he wanted to show her that he loved her. She finally understood the difference between sex and making love. It was more than that, though; with Klaus she felt irreplaceable, like he would never want another woman like he wanted her.

And there was definitely something to be said about a thousand years experience… he found great pleasure when she mentioned that her high school boyfriends had nothing on him. "So what you're saying is that I have effectively convinced you that no other man will be good enough for you?"

"Well, I might need just a _little_ more convincing." She said with a smile.

They had agreed, though, to wait a little longer to complete the blood binding; they didn't want to have to worry about his interrupting… well it was really just Kol who constantly interrupted them. He promised to take her to a romantic location when she was ready to take that step. For now though, they would have to live with the temptation. Her blood called to him, a side effect of the bond trying to complete itself, but what surprised both of them was that she could barely control herself around him either. She wanted his blood; she didn't know if it was just him or because she loved him, but his blood was the sweetest thing she had ever smelled. And she knew what it tasted like, making it that much harder to resist, because it was the best thing she had ever tasted; that was definitely because it was him.

She was in awe of his hybrid features; she had of course seen Tyler's, but Klaus' was… well it was Klaus and it oozed power (she knew instinctively that she should fear this face, but she knew that he would never harm her). To know that she could make the Original Hybrid lose control but that he refused to act on it… well that just confirmed how much he cared for her to her; she knew what he had done in his past, knew how easily he could give into his vampiric nature, but he resisted for her. And he found her beautiful even with her vampire features out. It was more than she could have ever hoped for; it fascinated him when her fangs came out and her eyes turned red because he wanted to know all of her, love _all_ of her. She had hated that face, but she was slowly coming to like it from the reaction Klaus gave to seeing it… well, lets just say that she enjoyed those moments quite a bit.

Kol enrolled in Mystic Falls High; he staunchly refused to say that it was to be close to Bonnie, but they all knew it was. Not that Bonnie was complaining… Kol, for all his sadistic ways, could be a real sweetheart when he tried to be, and after seeing how he cared for Caroline, Bonnie stopped denying him. Klaus made excuses for his brother though, saying that it was to protect Caroline when he could not; she wasn't sure if it was true or not, but she firmly suspected it was part of the reason and that Bonnie was the other reason. At least the baseball team benefitted from his presence…

Elena had grown closer to Elijah; he was helping her learn control. He was like a perfect combination of Stefan and Damon's methodologies, which turned out to be exactly what Elena needed. His calm presence, his steadiness, was a good thing for Elena's constantly swinging moods. It helped that two brothers weren't fighting over her anymore; that had only served to make a bad situation worse. They swore they were just friends, but the rest of them had their suspicions, especially when they went off without telling anyone where they were going.

Rebekah, surprisingly, fit seamlessly into their group, and she was a welcome addition to the girl's sisterhood. She was happier than any of her siblings had ever seen her; all along, she had really just wanted friends, to be accepted into a group and feel like she belonged. And Matt was happier with her than any of them had ever seen him; he was finally able to move on from Elena and from Vicki's death.

Jeremy pulled away from the group for a few days, much to everyone's displeasure. April and him had started dating, and he wanted to keep her out of all the mystical creatures drama. Caroline suspected, though, that he didn't want to see Bonnie moving on, even if he was. April then found Elena's supply of blood, and they all decided it would be better to just tell her everything, especially after the whole Jeremy and Matt compulsion situations. She accepted them, and it helped Jeremy to have someone human to talk to.

They had made it their personal mission to modernize the Originals every time they found something that they did not know. That included everything from movies, to books, to food, and music. Though the music was the hardest. They insisted that some of their modern day artists were not fit to call themselves musicians; this just made the rest of them role their eyes.

And Elena, Jeremy, and Bonnie were making a concerted effort to give Klaus another chance. So far it seemed to be going well; he was under strict orders from Caroline to give them a chance in return. And once they got past the whole "trying to kill each other" thing, they discovered that they had more than just Caroline in common. They enjoyed going to the mansion and spending time with the Originals, _all _of them.

For the first time in a long time, Caroline realized, they were happy. She examined that thought. It was hard to wrap her mind around, but it was true. The Originals that they had dreaded for so long, that they had planned to kill, had made all of their lives better in some way. Mystic Falls had been a virtual war zone for the past year, and though she didn't want to blame them, she realized that all of their problems had started with the arrival of Stefan and Damon and now that they were gone, they were suddenly happy? It couldn't be coincidence, as sad as that thought was to realize.

One thing though had changed, by unspoken agreement. They rarely texted anymore, instead preferring to actually call. It started out as only being between Caroline and Klaus that it happened, but it soon spread to the whole group. They had all been kidnapped or in life threatening situations enough to release that the voice revealed more than a text ever could. And if living in Mystic Falls had taught them one thing, it was that they were all danger magnets that bad things seemed to happen to.

And now it was time for the annual Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, and as Miss Mystic Falls Caroline was very busy helping set up and prepare for the event. She already had school and now this was further taking away from her time with Klaus. It didn't help that Mrs. Lockwood was the head coordinator and things between them were a little tense. "Ugh, I swear she's giving me extra work just because of Tyler; and some of the things she says to me!" She said by way of greeting when she walked into Klaus' art room and flung herself tiredly on the couch.

He remained unfazed by her mood, instead choosing to continue working on his painting; that was one of the things she loved about being with him; he understood her mood swings because, well, he had them as well. They never changed his opinion of her, and he never complained about it. He just tried to make it better for her. "Would you like me to speak with her darling?"

She considered for a moment, maybe he could get the mayor to lay off a little; she knew, though, his "talks" could be quite the dangerous exercise (and, let's be honest, often ended in violence or bloodshed) and she didn't wish any ill will on Carol, regardless of how her son had turned out. "No, but thank you anyway."

"What did she say that upset you so love?" He finally turned to look at her and joined her on the couch, gathering her in his arms; he had finished what he wanted to of the painting, and she now held his full attention. It was part of dating him that she was coming to love. He focused wholly on something; he would stop when she was in the room talking to him but only after he had completed what he wanted to. She noticed that he did things faster though when she was speaking to him; he wanted to give her his attention.

"She said that it was too bad Tyler was gone because now I wouldn't have an escort for the dance. Can you believe her? As if I aren't capable of getting a date to a dance." She realized too late what she had said. _Oh, that wasn't how I wanted to tell him at all!_

Well, this was the first he'd heard of it; she had made it sound like her duties were strictly that. He hadn't thought she would actually be taking part in the event; it seemed foolish now, he should have asked around to see so that he could ask her and now she had basically had to ask him. "You need an escort for the dance?"

"Yes, but I wasn't sure how to ask you, and I wasn't sure you'd even want to go…" She drifted off when he cupped her face in his hands.

"And why wouldn't I want to escort you to a dance, where I presume I will get to hold you in my arms and show this town that you've moved on from the mutt?" He loved dancing with her and wanted to be able to do it again, even if it was for some ridiculous town function; or maybe because of it. It was obviously important to Caroline, so therefore it would have to be important to him.

"You'll be my escort?" She questioned, forgetting her anger at Carol in her excitement.

"Of course, I'm not going to let anyone else do it, and I _am _your boyfriend. Now, may I kiss you as I have been longing to since you walked into the room?" He didn't wait for her response, knowing what the answer would be from the way her lips curled up in a smile.

She went dress shopping with Rebekah, Elena, Bonnie, and April that Saturday, much to Klaus' annoyance. She teased and cajoled him until he finally admitted why he didn't want her to go on this excursion without him. "Weekends are the only days when I get you all to myself because you're not in school. I'm not going to lose you to my sister and your other friends."

She told him he was acting like a child that had lost his favorite toy and that effectively stopped his arguments. He was sure to inform her though that he was not happy with this development; she wondered how angry he would be when she got home. She pushed such thoughts away; she was sure she could make him forgive her she thought with a grin. She was sure that it would turn out to be a mutually beneficial experience.

The five girls tried on dresses in almost every store, wanting them to be perfect for the event. Caroline wanted to remember this for the rest of her immortal life. It seemed silly, but this was one of the biggest events of living in Mystic Falls, and she had dreamed of it since she was a little girl. It had been all she had ever known; just because she was a vampire didn't erase what had shaped her life. It made her glad that Klaus had been so quick to agree to escort her; she had half expected him to scoff at the very idea of even attending such a thing. _I have to stop being surprised every time he does something sweet and out of what I expect. He had never done what I've expected of him, why would he start now?_ Anyway, this was an important event in this town, and even if she was only passing on the crown, it was one of the last normal things she would do that she had always expected to do.

Caroline finally settled on a dress that she loved, and was sure that Klaus would love it as well. They all found beautiful dresses that complemented them in quick order, each discussing going to get ties for their dates that would match their dresses when Caroline realized that she didn't know who one of their date's actually was. "So, who's your escort Elena?"

Elena didn't look at any of the girls when she responded, rather a bit tersely. "Elijah." The rest of them shared a glance coupled with a smile. Elena could try to deny it all she wanted, but they knew that there was something going on there of a more romantic nature, even if the pair did not realize it quite yet.

They bought their dresses and headed to the men's department to pick out ties after that, but they made sure to tease Elena, just a little bit. Each of them picked up a few other items along the way as they strolled through the mall before they decided that they wanted to go back to the mansion to watch movies again before returning to their men.

"So, what are you all doing for Thanksgiving?" Caroline questioned as she drove them. None of them, as it turned out, had any outstanding plans. Elena and Jeremy were each other's only family at this point, April really had no one, Rebekah was unsure if her brothers even knew of the holiday, and Bonnie and Caroline's parents were both working.

"We should have something together. I mean we're practically a family anyway." Rebekah's suggestion was well received, and they decided to ask the boys what they thought of the idea. They were surprised when they got back to the mansion to find Matt's truck there. "I told him I was going shopping, I wonder why he's here?"

The girls piled into the house to find everyone but Elijah playing video games. "Seriously? Jeremy, you're poisoning my boyfriend."

"Oh relax Caroline, you said you wanted them to be immersed in our modern culture. And he's really good." The last comment earned Jeremy a scowl from Kol, but he ignored it.

Klaus commented without missing a beat, the game remaining his complete focus. "Yes, sweetheart, I'm enjoying myself. I'd hardly call that being poisoned."

"What are you all even doing here anyway?" Elena piped up, curious as to why her brother and Matt were at the house without their girlfriends present.

"We invited them darling. You were all out gallivanting having your 'girls day out', so we boys decided to have a video game marathon." The girls all looked at each other and rolled their eyes. _Honestly, you'd think they had no life without us._

"And Klaus wins again." Matt announced. Kol looked clearly frustrated by this, especially when Klaus sent him a smug grin.

Elijah walked in at that point and bid the girls a friendly hello. Now that everyone was in the same room, the girl's decided to ask about the Thanksgiving plans. Caroline presented their idea. "So, we were talking and realized that we don't really have anyone to spend Thanksgiving with, and we thought we should all do something together."

"That sounds wonderful, Caroline. We can be there for each other when our natural families cannot." Elijah agreed for all of them.

Caroline clapped her hands in excitement before heading towards the stairs. "I'm going to take my bags upstairs." Caroline headed up to their bedroom and shut the door behind her only for it to swing open a moment later.

She turned to find Klaus standing in the doorway. "What, I don't get a hello kiss love?"

She smirked, a habit she was sure that she was picking up from him. "You seemed a little preoccupied when I came in quite honestly."

He flashed over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "I didn't get to see you all day, and I could have beat them with my eyes closed. Please feel free to kiss me no matter what I am doing. Well… within reason."

She was about to make a witty reply in regards to his general lack of modesty, but then he was kissing her and every coherent thought left her head. "May I see the dress that you got?" He questioned when he pulled away.

She nodded and went to the bag and pulled the dress out and handed him the shirt and tie she had bought for him. "Do you like it?"

"It's perfect." She smiled at his response. "I think I'll enjoy taking it off of you more though."

Caroline never got back downstairs to watch movies with the girls.

The day of the dance had arrived in all it's glory, which found the whole gang at the Mikaelson mansion getting ready, the girls in Rebekah's room and the men downstairs because they didn't take half as long to get ready. They were growing impatient with waiting, but it was worth it when they saw their girlfriend's walk into the room. The men went to their respective ladies and escorted them to their separate cars. Elijah had decided this would be the best way to keep… well the only really problem was Kol, so it was mostly an attempt to keep Kol alive.

"So, what exactly do you have to do today love?" Klaus questioned as soon as they were in the privacy of his car.

"I have to make sure all of the girls know their places and such, present the new Miss Mystic Falls with her crown, and then participate in the waltz afterwards, which is where you come in." She rattled off the list, smiling at the prospect of dancing with him once more.

They arrived at the Lockwood mansion, and Klaus draped a reassuring arm around her waist when he saw her tense. She had been working with Carol, sure, but she hadn't actually been her since that night when Klaus told him to leave. _You can do this Caroline. You are strong, and __**nothing **__bad is going to happen at this dance._

Caroline walked through the crowd, greeting people as she went, Klaus ever present by her side. "Caroline, hello! And I see you managed to secure a date. Great for you."

Klaus intervened. "Mayor Lockwood, so good to see you again. Yes, Caroline and I have been dating for almost two months now."

Caroline enjoyed seeing Carol blanch at that. "Oh, you two are seeing each other?"

Caroline moved so she was closer to him and placed a hand on his chest. "Yes, it just happened. I've never been happier."

"Well, good for you. I have to go see to the other guests. Enjoy yourselves." Carol walked away and they waited a short while before laughing quietly with each other.

"Wow, that made me very happy."

He smiled at her before giving her a quick peck on her lips that left her wanting more. "I'm glad sweetheart."

They moved off, finding his family and her friends before Caroline, April, and Rebekah had to go get ready for the presentation. The other girls were already upstairs getting ready. Caroline directed them to get in line in the order that they had been assigned, then moved back downstairs to stand to the side with Klaus and Elena and Elijah.

After the girls had all come down, Rebekah and April being last, they moved outside to watch the traditional dance. Klaus was watching Matt with Rebekah. "What?" Caroline questioned in a whisper at his gaze.

"I worry for her. She hasn't had the best choice when it comes to men. I don't want to see her get hurt again."

Caroline was touched by the obvious concern in his voice. "Matt's not that type of guy. Actually, I think Elena and I were the ones to hurt him the most. I know him Nik, and I think he genuinely cares for her."

The worry on his face didn't completely vanish, Rebekah was still his little sister after all and he would always worry for her, but he trusted what Caroline told him. Enough to stop glaring at the human boy who was now holding his sister as they danced. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "I hope he does love, because I would hate to have to kill your friend."

She glanced at him quickly to glare at him, already planning the rant she would have for him later, when she saw the teasing glint to his eyes. She rolled her eyes at him and turned back to watch the dance reach completion.

Mayor Lockwood called the contestants on stage and Caroline moved off to her appointed area to wait to crown the new Miss Mystic Falls after she told Klaus to stay as close as he could so she could get a dance with him before anyone else asked.

They were all very happy when Rebekah was chosen as the victor. The look on her face rivaled that of a child in a candy shop. Her brothers were very proud of their sister, Kol already making plans to tease her latter (but that didn't detract from the fact that he was proud of her, he just teased to show his affection). Caroline crowned her, beaming knowing how much this meant to her, and then left the stage to be grabbed by Klaus for the dance that they had promised each other.

They moved to the dance floor that had been set up on the grass. The other two times they had danced formally like this, she hadn't let herself enjoy it. She was too busy denying that she had any feelings for him and trying to convince herself that what she had with Tyler was an epic love. This time she was going to enjoy dancing with Klaus because _he_ was her epic love; she could tell the difference now that she actually had it. And enjoy the dance she did. The strains of _Give Me Love_ floated over them; it wasn't a traditional song to waltz to, but Caroline felt that it was an appropriate song for their relationship. "What are you thinking about sweetheart?"

She smiled at him and he smiled back. "I think we have a song."

He pulled her closer to him. "I'm inclined to agree with you."

They danced for a while longer, before switching partners with Kol and Bonnie. "Hello darling, enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, I am. So don't you ruin it." Caroline glared at him.

"I have no intention of ruining this day. Tomorrow however…" He trailed off suggestively.

She sighed at him. "Are you trying to make Nik mad?" Kol's lewd comments really didn't bother her, but Klaus had the old values of defending his lady's honor.

Kol smirked at being caught. "Maybe a little darling. He's so easy to bother."

Klaus and Bonnie at least were sort of enjoying themselves, mostly by making fun of Kol. "The first time he got drunk was when we were still human. Elijah and I were drinking, and he kept badgering us for a drink. I finally gave in, and she took a huge gulp, more than one should, and we discovered he was quite the lightweight."

Bonnie laughed, amazed that she was actually enjoying her time with Klaus. "What did he do?"

"He may, and you did not hear this from me, but he may have stripped and run through the village shouting obscenities before falling in the pig pen." He said with a laugh at the memories.

"I can tell you'll be a good source for blackmail."

"As long as he keeps bothering me about Caroline, I'd be more than happy to supply you with Kol's dirty little secrets." When the song ended, Klaus led Bonnie off the dance floor and back to Kol.

"What did you two talk about?" Caroline asked, curious because she had seen them laughing but had chosen not to use her enhanced hearing to actually hear what they were saying.

He mouthed _Kol_ to her, and she hid a small smile. _Oh Kol, you should have known better than to mess with Klaus._

The whole group decided to leave; nothing bad had happened yet, but given their luck with dances… they didn't want to chance it. They all went their separate ways; the mansion _was _Klaus' so apparently (and according to him) he and Caroline had dibs on that location. Elijah and Elena never actually went to a house (Kol said they were going to sleazy hotels) leaving the Gilbert house open for Jeremy and April. Kol had gained entry into Bonnie's house finally, and Rebekah and Matt would go off to the house she had gotten when she had been angry with Klaus.

They went to the kitchen when they got home; neither of them had taken any blood yet today, and they figured it was tempting fate too much if they waited any longer. Anytime they drank together, it was always from a blood bag. He wasn't a complete convert, he had been feeding from the vein for a thousand years after all, but he didn't do it around her at all. Always leaving the house, normally when she was at school, and going outside of Mystic Falls when the urge came over him. He never told her when he went, and she never asked. He was trying for her, even though she hadn't asked him to, and that was all that mattered. He never made fun of her from only drinking from the bag either; it was an accepted part of who she was.

They moved upstairs and into their bedroom when they were finished. She turned to him with a raised brow. "I believe you said something about wanting to remove my dress, didn't you Mr. Mikaelson?"

He moved closer to her, like a hunter stalking his prey causing her to shiver in anticipation, his arms finally snaking around her to grab the top of her zipper while he lowered his head slowly, _sensuously_, to hers. "Indeed I did Miss Forbes."

_And they discovered each other once more. And again, and again through the night._

**A/N: So Kol was causing some trouble- well it was just teasing, but still-for the couple this chapter; he turned out to be quite the nuisance. I didn't mean for him to, it just sort of happened. Don't worry, though, Klaus will get his revenge eventually. Caroline and Elena's dresses are the ones from the promo pictures, just imagine everyone else's to be similar to theirs. I thought that this would be a good thing for Rebekah to win to see her own worth, so I hope every one's okay that she won the pageant. All the sex scenes will be like last chapter and this one, it will be heavily implied what is going on, but I'll let you use your imaginations for the details. **

**I would like to quickly address Elena breaking things off *seemingly* easy with Damon and Stefan in the last chapter. For the most part, this story focuses on Caroline and Klaus' relationship and actions unless I feel it otherwise necessary. That being said, we don't currently know what led up to Elena even making the decision to save Caroline but I am planning a one-shot for that to eventually explain Elena's actions and such (I will let you know when it is up). For now, just keep in mind that Caroline is basically a sister to her and instead of it just being a choice between the two brothers, it became a choice between them or Caroline, and she chose Caroline.**

**End longest note ever. Until next time… **


	11. Chapter 10

**Thank you all for your continued support, it's giving me the motivation I need to keep writing! This chapter is a filler so it's shorter than has been the norm, but chapter eleven should be out latter today since I have no class and that will be back to normal length.**

**I hate stating long lists of names over and over, so anytime I say "the girls" its Caroline, Elena, Bonnie, Rebekah, and April unless I say otherwise. "The boys" will be Klaus, Elijah, Kol, Matt, and Jeremy. Forgive my laziness, please.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 10 **

**Part 1: Girl's Night**

The girls were camped out in Rebekah's bedroom having a sleepover. They were doing the usual things; painting each other's nails, gossiping about school, talking about their guys.

Klaus had found a lead on where the "cure" was, and the three brothers had set off in search of it. He claimed it was too dangerous for Caroline and Rebekah to tag along; they still hadn't told anyone else of the possibility of a cure. So they were stuck here in Mystic Falls and they couldn't even tell their friends why the other Originals had made a sudden disappearance.

Whatever, they could pretend to be normal teenagers for one night. What with the boys always being around, no one new the current state of any one else's relationship anyway; this was the perfect strategic moment to discuss their romances. "So Bonnie, how are things with Kol?" Caroline questioned as she painted her friend's toenails.

"They're good. He's not what I expected at all; we have some fights, but he's becoming my best friend." Bonnie realized what she had said. "No offense or anything. It's just… different with him. It's so weird, but at the same time, I can't help feeling that it's right."

"So are you like actually dating now? No more stupid bet?" Rebekah questioned; Kol had told her about that and she personally had thought it utterly ridiculous to begin with.

"Yeah, we went on our first date and discovered that we actually sort of liked each other and decided to give this relationship an actual shot." Wanting to steer the conversation away from herself, Bonnie asked the question that she was very curious about, focusing back on Caroline. "What about you and Klaus?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I think he argues with me on purpose. He likes to make up… which I shouldn't have told you. Sorry Bekah. We're good, though. He… I don't want to say something so cliché as 'he completes me', but I get what people mean when they say that now. We balance each other out. It's so hard to explain, but I think we make each other better, you know?"

"Well, I don't know about Bonnie, but I certainly understand that. Matt makes me remember what it was like when I was human, and he's told me that I gave him a reason to live again." Rebekah cut in. "What about you Elena? What are your intentions with my brother?"

Elena hesitated; she really hadn't wanted to talk about this, like ever. "I'm not ready to date again, honestly. I like him, I really do, but I don't know… it's a little weird with the whole doppelganger business."

"If I may, I knew Tatia and I knew Katherine. While you look the same, your personalities are vastly different. I think that's why Elijah does like you; you may have the face of the first woman he loved, but you have the personality she could never grasp. If that is what is causing your situation." They all looked at Rebekah in shock. "Oh stop staring as though I've grown another head! Honestly, I care about Elijah and I don't want him to be hurt again if you refuse to acknowledge your feelings Elena!" Her voice had risen as she had spoken, and she continued in a softer voice. "I understand that you still need time to move on from Stefan and Damon, but please don't lead Elijah on."

Elena sighed. "I'm trying not to Rebekah; I've hurt enough people to last a lifetime."

"That's all I ask." Rebekah stated firmly; for once, though, she didn't threaten to get her point across. Quite a change from a mere couple months before. "So April, before you feel left out, how are things going with you and Jeremy?"

"I already feel left out. I'm not part of the Dating an Original club." This comment elicited a _Hey!_ from both Elena and Rebekah, but April ignored it. "It's good, he's helping me get past losing my dad and we just… we're good together is all." The rest of the girl's all nodded their heads; they could definitely understand that one.

None of their relationships, or almost relationship in Elena's case, were normal by any standard. They just fit together; they complemented each other in ways that no other man had done for them. And it was so hard for them to explain why exactly they felt the way they did, but maybe that was what made it real. They couldn't rationally explain their feelings it just… was. If it had been superficial they would have gone out with them without a fight, but they had all, well with the exception of April (that had involved a lonely night filled with alcohol and a drunken tryst that ended in her and Jeremy's relationship), fought their feelings, their initial attraction. Hell, Elena was still fighting them. It made them all consider the prospective of soul mates; it was too crazy to have never experienced this depth of emotion before. They had experienced stranger things.

Caroline broke the contemplative mood that had settled over the room. "So Rebekah, any good blackmail I can have on Klaus?"

"Oh, Care he would dagger me in an instant if I told you anything."

"Nonsense, I won't let him." She said with pleading eyes.

Rebekah thought for a moment, trying to come up with something. She growled in frustration. "He's never really been one to _do_ anything embarrassing, at least not that I know of; if he ever has, I have no knowledge of it. Kol however, well I have a very long list of things that he's done.

Caroline was rather disappointed, but if she couldn't blackmail Klaus, maybe she could blackmail Kol into leaving them alone. "Why was Kol daggered, anyway?"

"Our father was gaining on us and Nik was being even more paranoid than usual. So of course, Kol decided to wipe out half a town. They had heard stories of vampires, much like Mystic Falls, and decided to try to stake Kol. Imagine their surprise when they found that it did not kill him. Word spread rather quickly after that, and Nik knew that it was only a matter of time before Mikael caught up with us. So he daggered Kol both as a punishment and to protect him."

Bonnie merely rolled her eyes. That definitely sounded like the Kol she knew; he didn't like rules placed on him. It was in his very nature to break those rules.

"Nik and his daggers… oh that might count as blackmail after all Bekah. He's not creative enough to think of anything else." Caroline clapped her hands in glee. Next time he held the fact that she had made him wait for _so_ long (_really, he was more of a drama queen than me sometimes, and that takes work_) just to be with the "pathetic mutt" she would have the perfect comeback. _Maybe he was turning her a little bit more devious than she used to be…_

"It's sort of sweet, though." They all glanced at April at that. "Don't get me wrong, he was going about it completely the wrong way, but he was afraid to lose you guys. Look at all the therapy we have nowadays for people who have the same issues as he most likely does. He has extreme abandonment issues." They continued to glance at her in shock; none of them had ever stopped to consider putting Klaus' issues in a modern day context, but it really made sense now that they gave it some thought. "I want to be a psychologist, that's the only reason I know all this stuff."

Caroline was too busy thinking this new revelation over to pay attention to that last part; Klaus had opened up to her about Mikael only recently when she had asked about his childhood. He told her about his siblings, but then something seemed to break in him. And all that he could talk about was Mikael. How he had signaled him out every time something went even the littlest bit wrong, and in those days it had been acceptable to beat children with little or no reason, and he was expected to endure the beatings 'like a man'. The things he had said to Klaus, that he was unlovable that no one would ever want him, that he wasn't good enough made Caroline's blood boil with anger.

_Of course, this makes so much sense. Look at what happens to abused children; they snap after too much. And his issues have been building for a thousand years, how much worse is that than the modern day abuse victim? Added to that some serious self-confidence issues and he's a mess._ That didn't excuse all that he had done, not by a long shot, but it was comforting in a way to know that it wasn't just because he was a psycho. There was a reason for his attitude and his actions.

"You know, he's always protected us, though. Even when I was a child, he would take the beatings meant for me even though he knew Mikael would be harsher with him." Rebekah seemed like she was thinking out loud.

"You know what I don't get? Why Mikael even let Klaus turn if he hated him so much." Elena queried.

Rebekah shrugged her shoulders. "We've all wondered that at one time or another. We reasoned that Esther convinced him, or that he didn't want it to be suspicious if he didn't turn Nik with the rest of us. Mikael's reasons for things have never really made sense though. It wasn't like he new that Nik wasn't his son, and yet he still treated him horribly."

Caroline was steadily growing angrier and angrier at this… he didn't deserve to be called a man. _He _was the monster. "I hate him for what he did, not just to Nik but to all of you."

Even Elena agreed with that assessment. "I can't imagine doing that to someone who I thought was my child. It's really horrible."

"I'm glad he has you Care. You've shown him better than anyone else that Mikael was wrong just by staying with him, by giving him a chance." Caroline blushed happily at Rebekah's words.

They moved on to lighter topics after that, normal non- thousand year old family issue topics; discussing celebrities and what movies they wanted to see, and school and prom and graduation.

"Nik thinks its ridiculous that I insist on going to school at all. Selfish hybrid." They all laughed at Klaus' possessiveness and general want to be near Caroline as often as he could.

"Elijah says its important for me to keep going; it's one of the last connections I have to my humanity and right now because of the transition period, which apparently can last longer for some vampires than others, I need any tether I can find. Even if its school." Elena sounded like she was quoting from memory (and she did not sound happy through her little speech); Elijah had probably had to repeat it many times.

"I like school; it's the first time I've had a semblance of normality in my whole existence without Nik there to scare everyone away from me." They laughed yet again at Rebekah's perturbed tone. It turned out to be a fun night, even though they all missed their men, they had needed a girl's night to talk about all this stuff without interruption. Girl time was important, even though their lives were crazy and hectic and they hardly had time to be with their boyfriends-"Elijah is not my boyfriend!" Elena was quick to point out, but the rest of them would have none of it simultaneously shouting "Yet!"- it was nice to have this opportunity.

It was hard for Caroline to fall asleep, though. She was used to drifting off in Klaus' arms, and she missed the beat of his heart under her ear, her head against his chest. She shoved the thoughts away; they certainly weren't helping her fall asleep, quite the opposite in fact.

_I miss you dearly when you're gone._

**Part 2: Wild Goose Chase**

Klaus by now believed that the whole brotherhood had been a ruse created to torment him. He had engaged a witch, a very old and powerful one, to decipher the runes on the sword and compare them to the tattoo on Connor. _The incomplete tattoo…_

Anyway, the witch had been able to see from what was in front of her that it was a series of steps that had to be completed. _Because nothing is ever straightforward with witches, damn them._

And that was how Kol, Elijah, and himself had ended up in Israel for the past two days looking for an unknown artifact that would hopefully either lead them to the next clue or help them see what the rest of the tattoo meant. _Wild goose chase, this is._ He could think of a million things that he'd rather be doing. He wanted to be home, with Caroline. It was hard being so far from her; he didn't know if she was safe or not, and that girl attracted trouble it seemed. Kol of course was teasing him mercilessly for this; the big bad hybrid worried over the baby vampire. He told him to shut up because Klaus new that he had compelled several of _his _hybrids to protect Bonnie in Kol's absence.

Elijah then told them both to shut up and focus on the task at hand. _Did they really __**have**__to make him watch Princess Diaries?_ The rest of the boys had absolutely point blank refused, leaving to go paintballing (which was story best left untold). Elijah had been intrigued by the movie though and had taken to saying shut up in response to almost anything. _Honestly, Kol's been in a box for ninety years and he's better adjusted than Elijah sometimes._

They decided to contact a witch when they realized that they could not hope to find whatever the object was on their own and she was now helping to guide them to it. Apparently, according to this witch, the artifacts gave off a signature only visible to magic users, which his witch in America had not been able to tell him. _The original five had been warlocks, though; it makes sense that it would require magic to find._

"How much longer witch?" He growled out in her tongue, clearly annoyed with how long this was taking and losing his tenuous patience by the second.

"Niklaus." Elijah warned in English; Klaus took the hint, it was probably best not to anger or offend their only chance of finding the ever-elusive 'cure'.

"It's getting stronger, the pull of the magic, it shouldn't be long now." She replied anyway, seemingly unfazed by Klaus' harsh tone.

And indeed it wasn't much longer at all until they had reached a cave, hidden by magic, that had the runes of the five carved into the inside walls. After that, it was rather disappointingly easy to find the artifact that turned out to be a grimoire. _Witches and their spell books…_

They compelled the witch to forget that they had been there, not wanting her to get word out that they were looking for something, and headed to the airport to get back to Mystic Falls. They had gotten what they had come for, and there was no reason to stay any longer than they had to.

He might have broken Kol's neck on the plane when he just refused to keep quiet and keep his thoughts to himself. _Bonnie you need to let him express himself more often, otherwise I have to hear this._ The witch refused to tolerate any of Kol's lewd comments, and he seemed to be both trying to make up for lost time and getting a few extra comments in. Elijah didn't even bat an eye when Klaus snapped Kol's neck, so Klaus new that Elijah was annoyed. And if Elijah was annoyed… well, he obviously was right in his frustration.

When Kol woke up, right before they were landing, he seemed to have gotten the hint and instead chose to sulk for the remainder of the flight. Klaus didn't care though; he was almost back to Caroline, back to the feeling of home. He couldn't wait to gather her in his arms, press his nose to her hair to breath in the scent that screamed _Caroline_, see her smiling face, hear her voice. Cell service was shaky at best where they had been, and Caroline said that the girls were planning a get together, so Klaus felt it best to focus on the task that had been in front of him to get home to her sooner. That theory seemed to have paid off in the long run anyway.

They drove back to the mansion in silence and when they got there Klaus rushed up the stairs to open Rebekah's door to see the still-sleeping girls. One though was not completely asleep. "Nik? Is this a dream?" Caroline spoke quietly.

"Nope, I'm back sweetheart. You want to stay in here or you want me to carry you to our room." He whispered back.

"Can't sleep well without you." She mumbled tiredly. That was enough for him to walk the rest of the distance to her and lift her into his arms before flashing to their room. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. Sleep now love, we'll talk latter."

_The only home I need is in your arms._

**A/N: So I hope this chapter cleared up everything to do with the girl's relationships. If you want to know more about Kol and Bonnie's relationship, and the bet Rebekah and Bonnie were talking about, Beautiful Unexpected is their story (but I'm not updating that one as quickly as this one because this comes first). And we've finally started the race to find the "cure" so that will definitely continue in the future…. **

**Again, sorry this chapter was shorter than normal.**

**Until next time…**


	12. Chapter 11

**In honor of TVD Thursday, two chapters in one day! Sorry, this is another shorter chapter. Thanks again for still reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries (but I'm hoping for a Klaroline scene tonight).**

**Chapter 11**

Caroline skipped school the next day in favor of spending time with Klaus after his trip. She was worried about her attendance though, so the next day she allowed no time for arguments. School passed by slowly for her on that day. Klaus had a surprise for her, which was normally a great event and it was hard for her to wait through the school day to find out what it was; he was probably just not telling her because she had insisted on going to school. She recalled what he had told her this morning.

"I have to go consult a witch; I should be back by tonight. Meet me at this address?" Klaus had said that morning when he drove her to school, handing her a piece of paper with directions scrawled on them.

She raised her eyebrow at him guessing that he wasn't going to tell her the purpose of the field trip. "Another surprise for me?"

"You guessed it love. So, will you meet me there?" She wanted to, but even if she hadn't, there was no way that she could deny that face. He loved surprising her she had found; she had asked him about it and he had said that he liked the look she got when he gave her something.

"Alright, alright, I'll meet you there; as if I would pass up on a chance to spend time with you. I love you." Caroline said, leaning over and giving him a kiss good-bye. "What time should I leave?"

"I love you too. You should leave probably right after school; it'll take a while for you to get there."

She nodded; she wasn't happy that this surprise was apparently far out of the way, though. "Okay, I'll see you when I get there."

"Have a good day sweetheart." And then he drove off to drop off the grimoire to one of the witches in his employ.

And that was how Caroline had ended up lost. "Why couldn't I have met him at the mansion so he could drive? I have no idea where I'm going!" All right, it was a little crazy to be yelling at herself in the car on the side of the road, but she had been driving for two hours and she had no idea where she was. This was getting absolutely ridiculous. The directions had seemed simple enough, but she still managed to lose her way. And she was now freaking out a little bit.

_Okay, breathe Caroline. It's going to be fine, you'll get to wherever it is Nik sent you to. You'll yell at him a little bit for getting you lost in the middle of no where and-_

Something- _someone-_ knocked on the car's window. "Ahhhhhh!" She screamed only to have it die out because the person knocking on her window was none other than Klaus. _Speak of the devil…_ She opened her door to glare at him; it was his entire fault.

He looked at her with a smile, clearly tinged with relief, which only annoyed her further; she wanted to be mad at him, which was incredibly hard when he smiled and made his dimples visible and when he had obviously been worried about her where abouts. "I was wondering where you were sweetheart, figured I should go make sure you were alright." His voice calmed her in a way that no other had ever been able to, but she was still angry at him. She hated not knowing where she was and she hated getting lost. _If he had given me better directions, I wouldn't be in this mess._

She scowled at him. "I just got a little lost." _Because you are an impatient man and you had to surprise me with something. Whatever this is, couldn't it have waited to a time when you could drive me or at the very least drive with me?_

Klaus laughed at her quickly, causing her scowl to deepen. _Oh, if he thinks that this is by any stretch of the imagination that this is all right, he has another thing coming. _"You see the turn up ahead?" Her gaze followed his finger that was pointing to the stop sign a little ways from where she had pulled her car over and she nodded. "Well, that's where we're going."

_Oh of all the stupid- _"Seriously?" _It was right there this entire time? I was almost there?_

He flashed around the car and got in the passenger seat. "Yeah."

Caroline sighed. _Un freaking believable._ She shut her door and turned the car back on. Her anger at him dissipated somewhat; it really wasn't his fault she supposed. "So, how'd you're meeting with the witch go?"

"No progression yet on the search process. She has to get back to me on the contents of the grimoire. It's a very ancient script, and it will take a while for her to be able to decipher it."

"Do you think there's actually a cure?" Caroline wasn't sure if she wanted there to be or not. She actually liked being a vampire; changing to an immortal being had actually managed to help her grow into herself. She was a better person now than she had been as a human, which was sort of ironic if you thought about it.

Klaus thought for a moment. "Honestly? I doubt it. The original five said that their goal was the destruction of all vampires; it doesn't make sense that that would be by curing all of us. Especially not since they were the ones to make the daggers to get rid of my siblings and I."

She glanced at him quickly as she continued driving. "You think it might have been something more along the lines of 'death is the only cure'?"

He nodded in confirmation of her theory. "That's what I'm thinking love. Pull in there." He instructed before continuing, without looking at her she noticed. "Does it disappoint you that you might not be cured?"

"No, honestly. I think I'll enjoy spending eternity with you. I would only get to spend a lifetime with you if I were human, and I'd much rather spend as much time with you as I possibly can. If I have to be a vampire to have that, then I'm okay with not being human."

"You really want to spend an eternity with me?" He asked quietly.

"Well, if you'll have me that it." _If you want me for that long_ her mind added.

He looked at her sharply and spoke his next statement firmly, brokering no room for doubt on her part. "I will never stop wanting you."

She smiled; sometimes it was hard to imagine that he wouldn't lose interest, and it was nice to know that he didn't think that her would. "Then I guess you're stuck with me."

"Good, I like you being around. Ah, here's the gatehouse. Go ahead and park."

She stopped the car in front of a quaint stone cottage-_this is just the 'gatehouse'?-_, and he was already holding the door open for her by the time that she had unbuckled. He kissed her quickly once she was out- _but it wasn't enough, it was never enough with them because every small touch only made they crave more-_ before leading her to a…_oh the horses are here! _because Klaus was leading her toward a barn (the biggest, fanciest barn she had ever seen in her life, but still quite obviously a barn). "Stella's her?" She questioned excitedly. She had almost forgotten about her horse in the midst of everything that hade been going on in the past few weeks, a fact which struck her with guilt.

"Yeah, they were both delivered earlier today and I figured you'd want to see her." He opened the barn door for her and there was her horse in a stall to her right, as well as riding boots for the both of them.

They saddled their horses and rode toward a path that Klaus pointed out. Caroline loved this; the feel of the horse under her as the rode over the countryside. It was magical, in a more normal sense. They slowed down to a walk. "So, who owns this land?"

He looked over at her with a smile. "I do love. I needed a place to keep the horses, and I saw this place and liked it, so I bought it."

"Wait you just bought this place?" He nodded and she rolled her eyes. "You know you don't have to buy something just because you want it?"

"Oh I know. But I can, so I do." That earned him another eye roll.

_Utterly ridiculous the way he spends money_.

They enjoyed the rest of their time riding over his newly acquired property, of which there was a lot, before Klaus asked her if she wanted to call it a night and go out to dinner with him. She wouldn't pass up a chance to have him to herself without his siblings or her friends around. "Sure."

They rode the horses back to the barn and put them away, Klaus promising to bring her whenever she wanted. And there was a house on the property, which she was sure was another mansion because Klaus did not own normal sized houses, that they could stay in if they ever wanted to get away from Mystic Falls for only a little while.

When they exited the barn Caroline realized that hers was the only car in the driveway; she had been thinking that they would have to drive separately, but that seemed to not be the case. "Did you not drive?"

"No, I ran to the witch's and then to here, and I figured I could catch a ride with you when we left." Klaus was certainly something else; there were times when he could be so human, and others when it was very clear that he was not.

She was about to get into the driver seat when she realized that she really didn't want to drive after getting lost. She handed him the car keys and responded to his questioning glance. "You can drive, I really don't want to anymore tonight."

They drove, fighting over what station to listen to the whole way ("It's my car Nik, we listen to what I want to listen to!" did not seem to be a valid argument with him) much like any other couple, to a restaurant somewhere between where Klaus' new property was located and Mystic Falls.

Once they were seated, Caroline fixed him with a stern expression to tell him something that she wanted to be clear on. "For Thanksgiving, I just want to let you know that Bonnie and I are cooking, no caterers allowed. This is going to be a _traditional_ holiday meal, and normal families don't hire caterers when they are perfectly capable of preparing the food on their own."

Klaus sighed in exasperation; why couldn't she just let him take care of her and treat her to the finer things in life as he wanted to? She wouldn't be the girl he had fallen in love with if she did that, though. "As you wish love. With the condition that I get to assist as well."

"You don't trust me in the kitchen? I won't poison the food I promise; not like it would hurt you anyway." She commented with a smirk.

He didn't look at her as he spoke, instead choosing to continue looking over the menu in his hands as though it held the secrets to the universe. "Maybe, sweetheart, I just want to spend time with you on the holiday when you spend time with those you love."

_Well if that didn't make a girl's knees go week… _There were times when he really knew the right thing to say. This was definitely one of those times. But she wasn't about to let him know that; he would get even cockier than he already was, and would end up acting like Kol. "Oh? Did you ever stop to consider that maybe I don't want to spend time with you."

He finally looked up at her again, sending her a smirk this time telling her that he didn't believe her for a second. "That we stayed in bed all day yesterday says differently. Especially because of the activities we engaged in while in bed."

_Uh! _"Seriously?" He was playing that card; he knew she was joking, right? There was no reason to bring up that she had skipped school because she had missed him while he was in Israel and she wanted to make up for the two days that they had spent apart.

His smile grew wider. "You shouldn't lie sweetheart, it only comes back to bite you."

_Oh, yeah. He knew she was joking and he was using that against her as well. _"Thank you morality police; like you have a right to judge anyone or give moral advice. And for your information… is that Kol and Bonnie?" Klaus turned around to look at the restaurant's door and confirmed her suspicions. "What the hell are they doing her?" She hissed.

He was shocked by the other couple's presence as well. "I assume they're on a date love, much like ourselves. They shouldn't be able to see us, unless-" and of course they were seated a few tables away from theirs. And of _course_ Kol looked over and spotted them. Instead of his usual teasing though- Klaus had quite honestly for a moment thought that he had followed them- he blanched and turned pale making Bonnie turn and notice them.

"What are you doing here brother?" Kol questioned in a whisper, knowing Klaus would be able to hear him, which put quite a damper on the evening as a whole; they were on dates after all, and who wanted their sibling listening in to that?

"In case you failed to realize Kol, we were here first." Klaus returned, his voice equally lowered.

"Yes but we had reservations." The brothers turned to glare at each other, neither wanting to back down.

Their earlier mock fight forgotten, Caroline grabbed Klaus' hand. "Nik, let's just eat and leave, okay? It'll be fine; we'll just pretend like they're not here."

The two couples tried their best to ignore each other after that, but it was hard knowing that three of the four of them could hear whatever was said. They couldn't talk about things they would have talked about had they been alone. Just as the waiter was bringing out Klaus and Caroline's food, in walked Elijah and Elena.

_Okay, seriously, what are they doing here? This is completely ridiculous._ And it seemed that Matt and Rebekah and Jeremy and April had been a part of whatever cruel plan the universe had, except that those two couples were seated with Elijah and Elena. _And why weren't we invited to this little gathering?_ She couldn't help feeling a little insulted by this turn of events.

Caroline glanced down and noticed Klaus gripping his knife rather tightly. "Nik, calm down, I'm sure that there's a completely reasonable explanation for this. You don't need to be so upset."

He took a deep breath at her words trying to calm himself. Elijah and company, after all, hadn't noticed them yet, and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as he could. He glanced over at Kol and Bonnie who both looked incredibly tense and were obviously no longer speaking in an attempt to not draw undo attention. "_Finish and sneak out?" _He mouthed to Kol, who nodded his head in affirmation.

"Oh, Caroline!" _Oh God, Elena, really?_

Caroline sunk down in her seat at Elena's approach. "Hey Elena!"

"What are you guys doing here?" _Is it not obvious? We are dating; it would make sense that we're on a date._

"Oh we were in the area, so we stopped in to get a bite to eat." _Please, for your own safety go away Elena_.

"Sorry we didn't invite you guys, you sort of disappeared after school. We decided that we hadn't spent a lot of time together in a while, and wanted to do something. Rebekah had heard that this restaurant was good, so we decided to check it out." _Ah, so it was a last minute thing; well I don't feel so bad that I wasn't invited anymore._

"Oh, yeah, sorry about I was meeting up with Nik and wanted to leave as soon as school let out; we haven't had an actual date in a while." Speaking of whom, he had on his 'murder innocents' face again, so now would definitely be a good time to send Elena on her way. "It was great seeing you though."

Elena finally seemed to get the hint that while Caroline loved her she was interrupting something, finally saying goodbye to the couple, and turning to rejoin Elijah, when she saw Bonnie and Kol. And somehow they all ended up sitting at one table together.

"_Think of it as preparation for Thanksgiving dinner." _Caroline whispered into Klaus' ear as they joined the group.

"_I was expecting to have you all to myself this evening love without your annoying friends and my annoying relations." _He whispered back.

She sent him a pleading look. "_Just behave, all right? Then we can go home and we can enjoy the rest of our evening alone." _He scowled at her, but otherwise made no further comment. _At least he's not trying to run away leaving me to fend for myself. Small victories. _

The girls all seemed happy to see one another, but Bonnie and Caroline were just putting on brave faces. There were times when they wanted to be with their friends, and this was not one of those times. Date nights and girl nights were best kept separate. And it was always dangerous to have all of the Originals at the same table- _you know, since silverware could be used as a weapon_- and they had never dared to bring them all together in public like this before.

_At least Kol tried to leave us alone. Elijah couldn't have stopped Elena? Why did he have to agree that we should eat together? _Klaus was silently fuming in his seat. _ I specifically brought Caroline her to avoid them all because its outside of Mystic Falls._ Needless to say, he was not happy with this turn of events. He switched between glaring at Elijah and Elena, both of whom pointedly ignored him, and Caroline who tried to get him to stop with small smiles sent his way.

Fine then, if she was intent on staying, he wasn't going to make it easier for her. He dropped his hand below the table, and placed it on one of her legs, causing her face to swing wildly toward him. He smirked, sensing an easy victory before running his hand up and down slowly on her leg. Her eyes slipped shut in pleasure before snapping back open. She seemed to realize where exactly they were and what exactly he was doing. She shot him a scowl, and grabbed his hand off of her leg before smirking devilishly. Caroline placed her hand on his leg and repeated his motions on him. _Two can play at this game Nik._

_Oh, that was it. He wasn't going to sit here for God only knew how long after that little move. They would make their excuses and leave, and Caroline would just have to deal with it _"Well, Caroline and I have someplace to be, if you'll excuse us." Caroline looked at him in surprise. _Shouldn't play with fire love._

She decided not to fight his decision to leave. Honestly, she just wanted to go home and be alone with him at this point. They said their goodbyes and made their exit, followed swiftly by Kol and Bonnie who also had plans for the rest of the evening.

"I wonder why they left so fast; we only just got here?" Elena questioned the rest of the table.

Rebekah glanced her way. "Oh, Elena, seriously? They wanted to be alone and we interrupted their night. They probably wanted to move on to other activities." She commented, taking a sip of her wine.

Caroline and Klaus decided it would be safer to go back up to the new property than the mansion lest the group decide to head back there. The new house needed a proper christening anyway.

Much latter, Caroline slipped downstairs with only a sheet covering her body to get something to eat. She was starving; she hadn't actually had dinner what with the craziness that had ensued. And Klaus had had things other than food on his mind by the time they go to the new house (Caroline had been right, it was yet another mansion of his). _The man has a problem. What's wrong with owning one little house? He can keep his crazy mansions; I just want one normal house._

"Ah, there you are." His voice behind her caused her to jump in surprise. "What are you doing down here?" He asked as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I was hungry but there seems to be no food in this house." She said, turning around to face him.

He grimaced. "Sorry about that. I wasn't planning on us staying here tonight. We can go if you-"

She silenced him with a kiss. "There are other ways to relieve hunger that I'm not leery of trying."

The words were barely out of her mouth before she was picked up in his arms and he was carrying her back to the bed at vampire speed. "Someone's impatient." She remarked with a grin.

"I wish you could see how valuable you are." And he set about helping her see just that. They fell asleep in each other's arms as the sun was rising. _ I guess I'm not going to school again today._

They spent the day once they had woken up exploring the property. There was an apple orchard next door, so Caroline finally got to eat, though she felt bad for stealing the apples. They headed back to Mystic Falls that night. Klaus told her to go ahead and head up to their room, he would bring her food and a blood bag, but first he wanted to make sure his siblings were alive.

Caroline was reclining on the bed when she heard yelling and shattering of glass. She rushed into the hallway to find Klaus coming laughing out of Kol's room, and was shocked to see a rather disheveled Elena and Elijah (both of whom were clothed only in sheets, though Elijah did his best to shield Elena from view) emerge from his bedroom to see what the commotion was about. "Niklaus?" Elijah asked

"I think I finally have revenge for Kol walking in on Caroline and I."

"Kol we are never doing this hear again." They all heard Bonnie hiss.

"Elena what are you doing here?" Caroline asked her other friend.

"Well, ummm, it just sort of happened… and well I really like Elijah, and…"

Caroline grimaced; she really wanted to know the details but not with the three brothers present and listening. "I got it Elena, thanks. Nik, would you rather go back to my house."

"I don't know love…" He stopped when she walked over to him and grabbed his arm.

"We're going to my house Nik." She said as she led him back out to the car. "Try not to be too rude to you brothers."

"I make no promises love." If it made her happy, they both new he would listen to her though.

They decided just to sleep that night; her mom was there, and they were content with just sleeping in each other's arms.

_I could spend forever in your embrace._

**A/N: Another chapter down, and there was some definite foreshadowing in the beginning of this chapter towards what will be going on eventually. I hope you enjoyed the awkward date night.**

**To reviewer Alice: Sorry I didn't see your review before I posted the last chapter! Your idea is sort of what I'm moving toward, so points for you! **

**To all my other lovely reviews: Thank you!**

**Until next time…**


	13. Chapter 12

**Sorry this took longer than usual; I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and switched it a couple times and I was on the road all day. Thanks to my beta on this chapter The Blind Wolf and to all the readers and reviewers! This chapter is shorter again, because, though it is important, it is more of a filler chapter, but I am sorry! Next chapter will be back to normal length, I promise!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 12 **

The Original siblings decided it might be best it they all attained separate houses. No one wanted a repeat of that night (especially not Rebekah, who had not been caught with her boyfriend, and she had no intention of that ever happening). If the townspeople noticed anything strange about four siblings each owning their own mansions, they didn't say anything. Who were they, after all, to question the eccentricities of the rich?

The siblings decided not to talk about what they had seen, after some teasing that ended when their girlfriends (and even Matt since Rebekah had gotten involved in the teasing) threated that they could not stand this anymore and they would reconsider the decision to date them. And well, teasing their siblings, no matter how much fun it was, it was not worth losing the ones they loved over.

So they ignored that that night had ever happened and went back to treating each other as they had before, which wasn't that much better, honestly, but Bonnie reasoned that at least they weren't being tormented as well. They did not need the siblings discussing their sex life with each other.

Kol and Klaus were avoiding each other though; they weren't sure they could control themselves. Which is what found Klaus and Elijah were going to see Celia, the witch he had taken the grimoire to, without Kol in tow. Celia had called Klaus because she apparently had interesting news for them concerning the five, and Klaus wanted this whole situation done with as soon as possible.

"Where did you say the witch was again Niklaus?" Elijah questioned as Klaus parked the car because he could see no houses or signs of any kind of life for miles around.

"She lives in the woods, but don't try to spot it brother; she cast a spell to hide her house so she could stay here for as long as she can keep herself young with her magic. Celia has been alive for a very long time." Klaus had met her in the seventeen hundreds and she had already been well over a hundred; she had been a slave for the family whose house she still resided in, mostly as a ploy to fit in to the south of the time period without attracting any trouble. He had drained her owners in their sleep, but when he went to do the same to her, he had found Celia to be quite a powerful witch, rivaled only by Bonnie Bennett. She had not cared that he had done away with them, though; there was no lost love between them.

"Klaus. There you are, I was wondering if you would ever show up. Come in, and bring your brother in with you." A voice spoke out of what seemed to be thin air, and Klaus directed Elijah in the direction of the voice. They crossed a certain point in the tree line, and then they were inside of a house.

"Celia, always lovely to see you." He made the introductions between his brother and the witch short, wanting to know what she had to tell him. "What news do you have for me?"

"The Five were created for a purpose, but it is greater than you realized. Before you were turned, there was a powerful warlock, Silas; some still say he was the most powerful magic being to walk the earth, and all who practice magic are descended from him. He craved immortality, but when he achieved it they buried him alive. He was able to possessed bodies from within the grave though. In one of the bodies he fell in love with a girl. She became pregnant, but he could only maintain control of the bodies for so long. The girl thought he had left her, and in those days an unwed woman with child was frowned upon; her parents banished her to a ship that they thought would sail to the end of the world. It landed on the coast of what is now Virginia, and the travelers found their way to modern day Mystic Falls."

Klaus and Elijah shared a quick glance before Elijah chose to speak. "It was Tatia. I should have known she would continue to cause problems for us even now. If you don't mind me asking, what does this have to do with the creation of the five though?"

"Silas loved her; they had truly found their soul mates in each other. Your mother killed her to create vampires; Silas had every intention of returning to her when he was able when he found out from the spirits that she was dead. And now Silas wants the end of all vampires; I recently was able to discern that he has possessed a new body. A Professor Shane; I believe he's trying to make his move. The cure doesn't exist Klaus. Whatever this leads to is something that will destroy you all." She handed him the grimoire, the next artifact's location on a sheet of paper attached to the front.

Klaus walked into the mansion and headed straight for the liquor supply. Elijah and he had agreed; they needed to get themselves and their loved ones out of Mystic Falls whether or not they wanted to and concentrate on finding the weapon. This Shane was too close for comfort, and Klaus would not compromise his sibling's safety or Caroline's. "Nik?" Her voice rang from the front of the house- he was making no noise and she could not tell where he was- and her voiced soothed his anger that they were in danger yet again from something he was not sure he could destroy.

He had called her at school and left her a message asking her to come to the house as soon as she was able to get away. "In the kitchen love."

She was there immediately after he had finished telling her where he was. She had a smile on her face, but it fell when she saw his expression. "Nik what's wrong?"

He explained what Celia had told them and the plan to leave holding her when, though she agreed it would be best for their safety, she realized she would be breaking her promise to her mother. "My mom got off for Thanksgiving because I was going to leave after graduation; it was going to be wonderful all of us together, and it was going to be the last Thanksgiving with my mom." She admitted with a sob. And though he didn't want to, a thousand years spent running told him this was a bad choice and that he would probably regret this decision, he couldn't take away her last chance to be with her mother. And so he agreed to stay in Mystic Falls until after the holiday for Caroline. He did not have it in him to deprive her of that much.

They called everyone over, including Liz, to explain the situation to them. They all agreed it would be for the best, though after Klaus spotted Liz and Caroline wiping each other's tears before the sheriff approached him and pulled him to the side. "Take care of her alright? I see the way she looks at you and I know she loves you and I can see how much you care about her. Don't hurt her."

If it had been anyone else questioning him, he would not have hesitated to cease their existence. This was _Caroline's _mother though, and he knew her intentions were the best. "I have no intention of ever letting Caroline come to harm from anyone, including myself."

Liz nodded at him before making her goodbyes to the group at large, promising to see them all in a few days for the dinner. _The cliché 'last supper' it would seem._ They hadn't discussed where they were going in front of her; the less she knew about that part of the plan the better, especially with Shane so close to them.

"So where to darlings?" Kol asked, bringing a map into the room. "The next part of the puzzle is located in Greece according to Celia, but we should probably stay state side so we can keep track of this Shane character."

"I didn't want to say anything in front of Sheriff Forbes, but I know him." Bonnie spoke up, causing Kol's head to whip towards her. "I'll explain latter Kol, all you guys need to know is that he has an interest in Mystic Falls and knows a lot about the supernatural."

"Is it possible that he's the one who sent Connor, since he knows so little?" Caroline voiced her thoughts. _So much more than a beautiful face his Caroline._

"Entirely possible, Caroline love. Which means we'll have to take him with us as well." It would be difficult, but they would have to fins someway to manage.

"What was the reason that we can't just kill Connor again?" Jeremy asked from his spot on the couch beside April.

"Well for one, he has the map on his body to find the weapon. And for another, when one kills one of the five, there's a consequence." Klaus explained, and at their inquisitive glances, he elaborated. "Hallucinations, that are trying to make you kill yourself."

"Did you experience that?" Elena asked, and Klaus was surprised by the concern that was evident in her voice.

He considered not telling them, not wanting to reveal the horror of that time period, and they really did not need to know what he had experienced, but the last thing they needed was for one of them to go through what he had; they would be successful in killing themselves though. "Everyday for fifty two years, four months, and nine days." He saw Caroline's shocked face as she made her way to sit next to him and lean against him. She always knew what he needed; he did not want the rest of them to think him weak, but at the same time he wanted to know that someone cared for what he had gone through during those years.

They all took his confession in, their faces all displaying varying levels of sympathy. Kol broke the somber mood that had fallen over the room. "So, no vampires killing the hunter allowed."

They agreed to go to New York City. They would be close enough to keep an eye on anything Shane did, and Klaus' hybrids could pose as college students for that purpose, and they could get lost in the very large populace of the city. They planned to all move into the mansion again on Wednesday night, to be ready to leave by Friday. The others said goodnight and Klaus and Caroline headed up to their bedroom.

He held her through the night, neither speaking until morning. He sat them up on the bed and lifted her chin to look at him. "Caroline, when this is all over we can come back; you will see your mother again, I promise you. I'm sorry that this had to happen though."

"Oh Nik, it would have happened eventually. And it's not _your_ fault. This just isn't how I pictured leaving. But I'll be with you and I'll be all right. We'll make this work somehow."

"Alright sweetheart; I'll do whatever I can to make you safe again, I promise. So, do you want to go to school or stay here for the day?"

She finally smiled at him for the first time since he had told her they were leaving. "You know, I think I'd rather make a few more memories with you here."

He was more than happy to oblige her request and distract her from reality for a while.

They went to her house after; she just wanted to get everything that she wanted as soon as she could so she wasn't rushing at the end. He helped her in any way that he could; lifting, packing, and holding her when it just became too much and she had to let the tears she had been holding in out. "I wasn't ready to leave yet! I thought I would get to graduate and be normal for a little while longer!" She sobbed into his shirt.

He soothed her by rubbing her back. He didn't know what he could possibly say to make this better or easier for her, and he didn't want to make it worse. But that was what she needed in that moment; she just needed him to listen to her and know that he was there and that he cared. She didn't need him to give her words; she just needed him. She kissed him softly. "I love you so much."

He kissed her back. "I love you too sweetheart, don't you ever forget it."

They returned to the mansion with the things Caroline was planning on bringing. "What did you hallucinate about Nik? The look on your face… I can't even describe it."

"I saw the hunters that I had killed at first, and then Mikael, but it was Henrik that was what made me try to kill myself." Klaus found he had no problem telling her about something incredibly painful and weakening. Was it because he loved her?

She hugged him, comforting him as he had done for her. "I can't even imagine what you went through. I'm so sorry Nik. How did you get them to stop?"

Klaus sighed recalling how he had been powerless in this situation. "I didn't. One day they just stopped."

"Is that time what you were talking about when you saved me on my birthday?" She questioned against his chest, shuddering at the thought of him no longer being in the world. _A few months ago, that would have been welcome. My how times have changed._

"Yes love, it was." He hesitated before continuing. "You were the first person outside of my family that I had ever told that to and the only reason they were privy to it was because they were there and they saw what I was going through."

Caroline was awed by how much faith and trust he had placed in her even then at the beginning of their relationship; this man who didn't trust had been able to give that to her. She kissed him, letting him know that she appreciated what he had done for her, what he was doing for her still.

_The trust you place in me…_

**Professor Shane's Office**

Shane- really Silas but he preferred to think of himself by the name of the body he was inhabiting- was not a patient man. He had waited long enough to kill those monsters, and he would not let anything stand in his way. He would have his revenge for the death of his beloved, and he did not care who got caught in the crossfire. It was unfortunate that the hunter he had obtained seemed to be lost. _No matter, I can always find another, there are four other ones out there somewhere._

**A/N: I took some cannon elements from 4x06 and made up some of my own stuff. Next chapter might be a little slower to get out, but it'll finally be the Thanksgiving chapter. Sorry again for the shortness, but it was late and I wanted to get at least something up.**

**Until next time…**


	14. Chapter 13

**And here is the Thanksgiving chapter as promised, and back to normal length, with a very nice surprise towards the end. Thanks to all the readers and reviewers!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 13**

Tuesday night the girls, Jeremy, and Matt went shopping for the holiday meal. They ignored the presence of the Original brothers; they had barely let them out of their sight for the past four days, worried that Shane would make his move as soon as they let their guard down. Caroline got Klaus to buy them some special wine though; none of them were twenty-one yet, and they did not feel comfortable compelling the storeowners for the alcohol. They dropped everything off at Klaus' house and everyone helped to put the items away before leaving to their own respective homes for the last night.

Everyone congregated as planned at the mansion on Wednesday night, but there seemed to be an unspoken agreement among them to not talk about why they were really gathered together. The holiday made it easy to ignore the situation at hand. They talked and they laughed, sharing holiday stories, watched those stupid Christmas movies that everybody loves on TV, and drank Klaus' good alcohol. They headed to bed late, each going to their respective rooms, Jeremy and April taking a guest room.

Bonnie, Caroline, and Klaus woke early to begin preparing the meal while the others either continued sleeping or went back to watching movies. They worked silently for the most part, Klaus stealing the occasional kiss from Caroline and Kol stopping to steal food just to get Bonnie's attention to get a kiss from her (Caroline finally put a stop to it, threatening to let Klaus dagger him for a while so that they would not run out of food). They surprising worked in harmony together, able to dance around each other without getting in the way of any one else's work. "Okay, everything is either cooking or ready to cook, so we're good for now."

"Yep, thanks for helping Bonnie. I guess we can go join everyone else now." Bonnie walked to the living room, but Klaus held Caroline back. "What is it?"

"I have something for you." He pulled out a little box, and Caroline's heart started to pound. _I'm not ready for this yet! I love him, but technically, I'm only eighteen!_ "It's not what you think! Just open it, please."

She accepted the box and opened it. "A promise ring?" She was relieved; she could handle this level of commitment. "It's beautiful."

"I just thought that, I'm committed to this relationship and…" She silenced him with a kiss.

She pulled away to look him in the eye. "It's perfect Nik; we belong to each other. Now, put my ring on me please." He gladly acquiesced and placed the ring on her right ring finger so his siblings (Kol) wouldn't tease them. "Is this another one of those 'wolves feel the need to claim' things?" She teased with a grin, examining her ring.

He smiled back, showing her the dimples she so loved. "Maybe sweetheart. You are mine after all; I just want to make sure everyone knows it." He was only half teasing she was sure, but she got what he meant and remained unoffended by his comments. He wanted others to know that she was unavailable, not that she had any intention of ever cheating on him, but he was the type of person that needed a physical reassurance. "Actually, it probably is. Your insult at the twenty's dance wasn't completely off the mark; I am literally the Alpha Male and it's part of my nature to claim my true mate. I'm sorry, I know you are your own person, but my wolf side says that you are mine."

She smiled at him, glad he had referred to her as his true mate. "I'm not upset Nik. I actually sort of understand where you're coming from. Let's go join everyone else."

They walked into the living room hand in hand, smiling at each other. It was nice to know that amidst the craziness of the situation they were in they could still have these moments of love and peace. Bonnie immediately noticed the ring on her hand and shot her a thumbs up recognizing what exactly it was and what it symbolized for the couple. They had all speculated at one time or another (when Klaus and Caroline were far from the near vicinity) as to what Klaus' real intentions were and it was nice to see the physical proof of his commitment to Caroline; that he wasn't just in it for the sex, but that the hybrid wanted an actual relationship with another person.

They all sat together as the family they were slowly becoming, and though they all knew in the back of their heads that the next day would bring their troubles back to the forefront of their minds, they knew they would make it through. Together.

It was strange to think that only a few months before they had been on opposite sides. And now, they felt move love and acceptance from this group of people then they had felt from their actual families (or in the case of the Originals, their mother and father). Even Jeremy and April, who weren't part of the Original Dating group, felt that same acceptance.

Kol of course noticed the ring on her hand and could not help but to comment on it. "Oh, you finally got a ring on her Nik. Too bad you didn't get it on the right finger. A little dementia from old age?" Trust Kol to try to make a bittersweet night fun.

"Kol!" All of them shouted simultaneously, with the exception of Klaus who had on his 'I'm going to dagger one of my siblings look' on, and Caroline who was hiding her face in embarrassment in Klaus' shoulder.

"Leave them alone Kol. It's sweet." Bonnie said in an aside to her boyfriend.

"Yes Kol, you should take a lesson from Niklaus if you want to keep your girl." Elijah joined in. Caroline noticed the couple shift uncomfortably. _Oh, that's right! Bonnie's not immortal. I wonder what they're going to do about that?_ She would ask Bonnie when they had some time alone, and while she was at it maybe she should talk to Matt as well.

The group- _my family now_ Caroline corrected herself mentally- decided to pass the time waiting for Liz and the dinner by playing a game of charades, pairing up with their boyfriend or girlfriend.

They discovered that the Originals were _not _very good at this game at all. Everyone else knew modern references that they, with the exception of Klaus (and possibly Elijah, but no one wanted to ask about Klaus' daggering history and start a fight, especially not on Thanksgiving), had no clue about. And the Originals all tried to use their vast stores of knowledge, resulting in the confusion of everyone else present.

"Okay, maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Caroline said with a laugh.

Klaus glanced at her with an expression that appeared to be a mix between confusion and irritation. "What are you talking about love? We're winning."

"Because no one else knows what the hell is going on!" Kol stated in exasperation; he was very upset that his brother was winning this game. He wanted to be the one to win, well with the help of Bonnie of course, especially after Elijah's comments. If Klaus had the capability to get a girl, a girl as nice and pure as Caroline and keep her, then Kol would be damned if he couldn't. And he would beat him at this stupid human game too.

"Hey, we're just not as good as those two. That doesn't mean _we_ don't know what's going on." Jeremy defended himself and April. They were a close second; okay maybe not _close_, but they weren't doing nearly as bad as everyone else. "Why are you two so good at this anyway?" He asked, addressing Klaus and Caroline.

"When you spend a good amount of time trying to win someone over that appears to hate you, you learn to read their body language very well. And we talk a lot about everything." Klaus explained with his trademark smirk firmly in place, pleased to be showing everyone what a great couple he and Caroline were. And it didn't hurt that they were beating all of his siblings, and the look on Kol's face? Priceless.

He heard Caroline mutter "Cocky hybrid" and chose to smirk in her direction while everyone else tried to hide their smiles at her comment. "Only because I have a reason to be love."

"The game is not yet over Niklaus." Elijah said, ever amused by his siblings need to be superior to all, including each other.

Klaus and Caroline won, much to Kol's displeasure. Liz showed up shortly after that, a store bought pie in tow, and Bonnie and Caroline moved back to the kitchen to finish cooking. They tasked Kol and Klaus with setting the table while Kol muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "I never thought we would be acting like whipped teenage boys" followed by Klaus' quick response of "Oh the things we do for love."

"So, how are things with Kol, Bonnie?" Caroline asked in a low voice so the other vampires in the house would not hear if they chose to eavesdrop.

"Good, I love him Care, you know? I never expected this, but I think I found the foretold 'one'." Bonnie said with a small grin.

"What about the future Bon? Are you going to become a vampire?" She voiced the question that she had been thinking about earlier. She loved Kol, as a brother, and she wanted him to be happy. And she could tell from the way the two looked at each other that if Kol were to lose Bonnie he would come apart. Caroline didn't want to think about losing her either; she couldn't even begin to imagine life without her there.

"We've talked about it a few times. I don't know yet, honestly. I hated them for so long that it's hard to think about becoming one myself. But I want to be with him forever at the same time. He's giving me time to decide, but he's not pressuring me or anything. He says he'll respect my decision and stay with me if I stay human for as long as I want him around." Caroline nodded; it was good that Bonnie was taking this decision so seriously; it was for forever, after all.

"Whatever you decide, I'll support you as well. Just remember not to let personal prejudices get in the way of your happiness." She cautioned, thinking of the time when she had denied her feelings for Klaus because of her friend's opinions of him. She was so much better off with him though; she didn't want to think what would have happened if she had never given him a chance. Caroline knew that she would not be nearly as happy as she was now, even in the face of an extremely sad event. She knew it would be all right because Klaus would be there.

"Thanks Care; I'll remember that. That was actually exactly what I needed to hear." Klaus and Kol walked back in then, bringing their conversation to a halt for the time being. They directed the two boys to help them carry the food into the dining room.

They had prepared the traditional Thanksgiving meal: the turkey (the largest they could find; between Jeremy and Matt and the three brothers, the girls were lucky if there was any food left for them often times), mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, rolls, ham (though less traditional, the girls reasoned that the more of a variety there was, the more they would have a chance to get), corn on the cob, green bean casserole, and a mixed vegetable dish. They had apple cider and wine for them to drink, and several different pies for dessert including the one that Liz had brought over.

"Let me just say that I do not approve of you all drinking, but I'm not sheriff right now, so I'll turn a blind eye to it." Liz said, not as much concerned by the vampire minors drinking as by Jeremy and April, evidenced by her pointed look in their direction. It was a holiday after all though, and she reasoned that they would not become drunk with her around.

Jeremy smiled at her allowance; the group wasn't really used to a responsible adult presence, unless you counted Elijah, which they didn't anymore thanks to Elena (let's just say that Klaus and Kol weren't the only siblings catching each other in the act and leave it at that). "Thanks Sheriff Forbes. We'll try not to abuse the privilege."

Elijah acted as the patriarch for the evening, carving the turkey (and he let the girls take some first). The whole table passed food to each other after that, swapping and taking. They dug in to the delicious feast, complementing Bonnie, Caroline, and Klaus on a job well done. The Originals relished in their first time celebrating the holiday, glad that it had been such a success, present circumstances notwithstanding. Caroline had thought her mother's presence would alter the camaraderie between everyone, making it awkward since she would technically be the only true adult (and she had to admit that it was an act of selfishness on her part, wanting to have this with her mother in case she never saw her again, though Klaus assured her that no one would be bothered by Liz being there), but they accepted her into the folds of their family. And Liz, even though she still felt extreme distaste for most vampires, found this group to be extremely… dare she say it? Human. They all seemed human here in this moment, even the terrifying Originals. They seemed like a normal family celebrating Thanksgiving just like everybody else.

Liz was glad observing this. Caroline was still her little girl, even if she was a vampire now. She worried about her daughter, especially now that she was leaving Mystic Falls, maybe for good. It was comforting to know that her daughter would keep her hold on her humanity with this group even without Liz there to make sure she did. All the same, it hurt a part of her that her daughter was growing up and that she wouldn't need her anymore. She hadn't been there for Caroline through so much, and just when they finally reached an understanding and could actually tolerate each other and speak civilly, life struck. It would be easier if they could call each other, but Elijah had explained the other night that they would all need to get new cell phones with fake names and that they wouldn't be able to call anyone in Mystic Falls in case Shane tapped the phones. This would be, unless they found a way to get rid of Shane, the last time she would have contact with her daughter.

Caroline knew it too. She was trying so hard to stay strong for everybody else; she didn't want them to see her breaking. She never let anyone, aside from Klaus; see her like that, not since the incident with Stefan and Damon. They all had their own issues; they didn't need to deal with her's as well. At least, that was what Caroline told herself as she excused herself to the restroom quickly, fighting tears the whole way. Part of her was still a little girl that needed her mom to be there for her even though she didn't want to be dependent on her anymore; she wanted so badly to grow up and be an adult, but when growing up presented itself to her, all she could think of was what she was losing in the process. She sat on the edge of the tub and jumped when the door opened slowly to reveal Klaus.

He didn't say any thing; he just moved to her and took her into his embrace. She finally let the tears she had been holding in all day out. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't, it's supposed to be a happy day…"

He pulled away from her to look her in the eye. "Shhh, love. This is hard for you, I know. I don't expect you to be strong all the time; you have every right to be sad. You're leaving behind all you've ever known under terrible circumstances. I don't expect you to be happy about it."

She smiled through her tears. He was so good for her. He never discounted her feelings, and he was never anything but understanding with her. She realized that what he had said earlier during the game was deeper than that. They really _knew_ each other, but she had a feeling that he was a little better than her. She had an idea of what she wanted to do on that, their last night in this house. Caroline wiped her face quickly. "Let's go back downstairs before Kol finds another reason to tease us."

He lifted her in his arms before setting her on the ground, kissed her quickly, then grabbed her hand and they walked downstairs together. "Oh, there you two are! It's time for dessert!" Elena always had a soft spot for the sweet foods, and it seemed becoming a vampire had not changed that at all. She practically dragged them to the family room; Elijah had insisted on waiting until all were present to serve dessert.

The night passed quickly, far quicker than any of them wanted. Liz left with a tearful goodbye, neither promising to see the other again because they didn't know if they could honestly promise such a thing.

The couples made their way upstairs bidding each other good night before going to their respective rooms. Caroline pushed Klaus against the door as soon as he had closed it and kissed him passionately before voicing her request. "I want to complete the blood binding."

He pulled away from her in shock. "Caroline, are you sure? After this we won't be able to leave each other."

She pulled his head back down to hers to look him directly in the eye. "I know. I also know that I want to be with you forever and I don't want you to have any doubts about that. I want to be completely yours and I want you to be completely mine. I don't want any other man, and I won't ever want anyone but you."

That was all he needed to hear, the sincerity of her words, and they were on the bed facing each other. "Wrist or neck?" He breathed.

Caroline thought for a moment; both experiences with vampires/hybrids biting her neck were horrible. She wanted Klaus to change that for her. "Neck."

He nodded at her decision, moving to nuzzle her neck. He pulled her shirt up and over her head and removed her bra while she pulled his shirt off before letting his hybrid features out. He moved slowly, giving her a chance to change her mind she suspected, and placed several feather-light kisses from her jaw to her collarbone before giving in and softly puncturing her throat with his teeth pulling her head to his own throat and motioning for her to do the same. She obliged. The feelings that coursed through her were unlike anything she had ever experienced in her life. The best way she could think in that moment to describe it was orgasmic, but _better_. And she felt how strongly he cared, loved her, and all her doubts that she had ever had about his feelings and the depth of them were finally put to rest. Then his memories rolled over her, a thousand years of them.

She saw every moment of his life. His miserable childhood because of his abuse at the hands of Mikael. Falling in love with Tatia though she was already in a relationship with his brother. Becoming a vampire and making his first kill; discovering that he was a werewolf as well, and killing his mother for cursing him. She felt the pain of the curse; the pain of not being able to transition though the moon called for him and begged him to run underneath it. He always killed more people on the full moon through the years leading to the breaking of his curse. She saw everything that he had ever done, good or bad, and she loved him through it all. She saw him when he came and saved her, saw the instant longing for her. Felt his pain when she left him at the ball, when she used him at the Grill, when she denied him yet again at the twenties dance. How it hurt him when she ran out of Alaric's room, the burn marks from the vervaine still on her cheeks. How he thought it would be his last chance to hold her ever. The pain of thinking she would never want him as she wanted Tyler that day in the woods. His genuine hurt for her, without a trace of malice or joy at being able to get her, when he discovered that Tyler was cheating on her. And through it all, she realized one thing; he had tried, he had tried so hard, to concentrate on his hybrids since meeting her, on getting Elena and leaving his troublesome feeling behind, but she was always more important in the end. He hadn't wanted to go in and save Elena when Alaric had kidnapped her; he had only gone when it was revealed that she was there as well. And how he had thought about leaving Elena with the Salvatore's and going to her house to see how she was; he had thought she would not want to see him. He was wrong, and she knew that he was seeing that now.

He was seeing how she was intrigued by his promises of a whole world being at her fingertips; how badly she longed for that. He saw the confusion that a man she had met the night before would give her so perfect a present; something that was more mature and _her_ than what her boyfriend had given her. Klaus saw how she refused to admit her attraction to him, even to herself. How she had wanted to go to the ball and see him again and used looking after Matt as an excuse to do so. Saw how she avoided looking at him so as not to be drawn in by him. Experienced her longing for him to kiss her that night. She had lashed out to dissuade both of them with his confession of fancying her. She loved his art, thought it was amazing and wonderful. Afraid to take up his offer of showing her the world; not of him, she wasn't at all afraid of him at that point he noticed, but of what her friends would think of her. Felt how she was excited that she had a purpose, that Damon needed her to do something, and how she had distracted him with no real knowledge of why she was doing it. She had been so excited at the prospect of seeing him and talking to him again that she hadn't bothered to ask. Felt her guilt when she sensed how genuine he was, her confusion that he wanted to know things about her that her boyfriend had never asked, how she had almost told him that she was a distraction.

By that time he had already found out, though. Watched as she tried to convince herself that she still loved and wanted Tyler. Felt her longing to kiss him at the twenties dance. Felt her fear as caused by Alaric, and he want of him to save her. Not Tyler, him. Saw how safe she felt with him when he told her she was, and felt her shock at realizing that she believed him. How she had wanted him to come to her; how she wouldn't have resisted him if he had come to her then. How she was heartbroken to discover that he was dead; how when she discovered that it had been him in Tyler's body she had wished it had actually been him. She had slapped him because she shouldn't want him, but she did. And he felt the love she held for him; he had never in his thousand years of life experienced a feeling so pure and true.

They broke away from each other's necks with a gasp. Only to join their lips as one before joining every part of themselves; they physically _needed _to be joined. They were one, body, mind, and soul in that moment.

It was the most passionate, loving night Caroline had ever experienced in her life. And through it all they could feel what the other was feeling making the emotions that much more… sensual. It was overwhelming and wonderful experiencing two sets of emotions. Their doubts about each other, which they had harbored up until that point from a life full of hurt on both their parts, were gone forever. After that night there was no room or need for doubt.

_I love him so much_. She thought, too exhausted from their night of lovemaking to speak it aloud.

_As I love you. _His voice echoed in her head, shocking and freaking her out a little bit. _It's part of the bond love. No matter how far apart we may go, we will be able to communicate this way should we desire. _

This made Caroline happy beyond belief; it would be easier, should they ever need to be apart, to be away from him if she could hear his voice in her head. _Interesting… I wonder? _And she sent him an image from one of her more… sexual dreams involving him.

She knew he had gotten it when he growled and rolled her under him once more. "You shouldn't tease a man Caroline."

"Who said I was teasing?"

They didn't get much sleep that night Klaus promising that she could sleep in the car on the way to New York City. Though they had slept together many times by this point, it had never quite been like this night and they couldn't get enough of each other. They needed, more than anything, to be as close as possible that night.

_It will always be this way with us…_

**A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I hope Liz's point of view was an okay place to go for those short few paragraphs; I wanted to show how she was feeling with all of this. And they finally did the blood sharing :)**

**Until next time…**


	15. Chapter 14

**Thanks for reading and reviewing; your continued support is my continued motivation! Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate! This is another shorter chapter (so sorry!) but I wanted to get something out for the holiday.**

**To answer a question put forth by justine: First, thanks I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for your faithful reviews! Shane definitely has a principal target, but he doesn't know it yet. Sorry for being cryptic, but all will be revealed shortly (probably next chapter).**

**Caroline's thoughts will be in italics and Klaus' will be italicized and bolded when they are talking to each other. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 14**

Caroline woke up in the car the next morning, no recollection of how she had gotten there, and Klaus was driving. The couples had all agreed it would be best to take separate cars and not take direct routes to the city; that way if anything happened, it wouldn't be to all of them and there would be people available to play the hero. And with this group that was definitely needed. "Morning love." Klaus said as he reached into the cup holder and handed her the coffee cup that had been in it. "I figured you should get as much sleep as you could, and that you'd want caffeine when you woke up."

"Morning. Thanks for the coffee." She muttered groggily. "How far are we from Mystic Falls?"

He glanced at her before replying. "We've been driving for three hours."

She absorbed this information; part of her was glad that he had allowed her to sleep and hadn't woken her up so she wasn't forced to watch her hometown disappear. "And where are we going before we go to the city?" She hadn't asked before; she was too concerned with leaving Mystic Falls to really care, but now she wanted a distraction. She felt his worry through their new connection that she would break and run back to her home. She silently let him know that she had no intention of leaving him; she knew that she was safest with him, and no matter how much she loved her home, she wanted to be with him.

He smiled reassuringly at her, glad to be of service in any way that he could. "We're headed toward Philadelphia. It's a larger city as well, and you can see some of your country's history. There's blood in a cooler in the back seat if you get thirsty."

She cringed mentally at the thought of drinking normal blood. _After drinking his blood again? I don't know if human blood with ever suffice again._

_**So you only want me for my blood?**_ His voice rang through her head and she glanced his way to notice his teasing smirk.

She groaned realizing he had heard what she thought against her intentions. "Oh this is going to be annoying! Am I ever going to be able to have private thoughts?"

He reached over and grabbed her hand. "I think we'll learn control eventually love. We just have to learn to pick out the important thoughts instead of all of them."

"I guess I'll live till then." She just hoped he wouldn't be too insufferable about it. "Is it for a reason that you can hear all of them at the beginning?"

"I suspect it has something to do with the protective nature of the bond. It creates a need to keep your partner alive, and from what I understand the ability to know when they are in distress is important. There have been times when one of the people were being tortured and couldn't actually form a coherent thought. The ability to distinguish if there was a difference in one's partner's thoughts has saved many lives." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Honestly it eases my mind a little knowing your history."

_Had anyone ever worried about her as much as he had?_ He kissed the hand he was still holding.

"You will always be my first priority love. I don't know what I'd do if I were to ever lose you." He admitted that last part in a whisper, as if he was ashamed to have gained a weakness after a thousand years of life.

Caroline squeezed his hand. "You won't lose me Nik. I will do whatever is possible in my power to stay alive for you."

**Philadelphia**

They drove in silence for the rest of the car ride, comfortable with each other and contemplating how much they meant to each other. It was strange for both of them. Klaus had never let anyone in since Tatia who wasn't one of his siblings, and they were barely let in. Caroline had been willing to die for people before, but she had never felt like she had to live for another person.

He got her a real Philly Cheese Steak when they got there, still trying to distract her from the reality that she had been forced into. They spent several days in the city. He took the opportunity to take her through the historical sites of the city: Carpenter's Hall, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, National Constitution Center, Franklin Court, Elfreth's Alley, Betsy Ross' House, Declaration House, and the American Philosophical Society Museum. Through it all, he never released his hold on her hand. He was comforting her; it was something she had noticed that he seemed hesitant to do, as though he was unsure of how it would be received, even with her, but it was like he couldn't help himself from doing it; which she supposed he couldn't considering their blood bond.

"So, were you in America during the Revolution?" She wondered aloud, wondering if his accent would have caused him problems in those days.

"I was here, as a British soldier. I tended to follow the wars; they offered some excitement from the usual and made it easier to feed without gaining Mikael's notice."

Her eyes lit up in excitement. "How many wars have you fought in?" She had a fascination with history (and, let's be honest, men in uniform), and that Klaus had been a part of most of it was… well amazing to say the least.

He smirked knowingly in her direction before answering. "I've honestly lost count at this point, but to name a few that you're probably familiar with, I've fought in the French and Indian Wars, the American Revolution, and both of the World Wars."

"What was it like?"

"Well, for me it was exhilarating. I enjoyed the fight. I suppose for others they were afraid of death, but I am immortal so that didn't play a factor for me."

Caroline took this in with a nod; it made sense really. She leaned into his arm and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked. She realized how much they probably looked like a normal couple in that moment to everyone else on the street, and how much they weren't. But she realized in that moment that this is what she had secretly always wanted. She had been afraid of not being normal for so long, but she had craved this. She didn't want to be safe; she wanted to go places on the drop of a dime without a care, she wanted to try and experience new things. And she wanted it all with Klaus.

"Are you ready to head to New York then love?" He said, breaking her thoughts. She kept forgetting her could hear her, and they had gotten better at not hearing each other all the time, but when she was in deep thought she forgot not to send her thoughts to him.

She looked around quickly. "I think I am." She quieted for a moment before voicing the question she hadn't wanted to think let alone speak aloud. "Do you think we'll ever get to go back?"

He stopped and turned her to face him, placing his hands on her arms. "I honestly don't know Caroline. But I will do everything in my power to make sure you get to see your mother again. And I will do whatever you want me to for you to give her the normal future you were supposed to have. Whatever that entails."

They left the next day for New York after spending some more time in the city. She had needed the time in Philadelphia to accept what was, and realize just how much he really meant to her. He was so much _more_ than anyone had ever been in her life. And she knew that he needed her as much as she needed him.

She fell asleep on the ride again; he assured her that he wasn't annoyed by her falling asleep on him all the time because she had been through an emotionally traumatizing experience, and as long as she was awake when they were alone at night…

Klaus stopped the car and handed the keys to the valet when they arrived at the Carlton Hotel. He directed the concierge to take the luggage out of the back, and went to Caroline's door to lift her into his arms. He enjoyed carrying her and he wasn't about to wake her and miss out on this opportunity. He owned the penthouse thanks to some compelling and his continued support of the hotel.

He exited the elevator when it arrived in the suite and motioned away with his head the hybrids that were already there (guarding Connor) before carrying Caroline to their room. He was not going to let one of _them_ lay their hands on her. He might need them to preform other menial tasks, but she was not something to be handed off; she was precious and deserved to be treated as such. And she was his responsibility.

"Nik?" She muttered when he laid her down on the bed and removed her shoes. "Where are we?"

"We're at the hotel love, go back to sleep." _Only if you stay with me._ Her voice said in his head. "I have to go see if my siblings are here yet, but I'll be right back."

She groaned (he could sense through her thoughts that she was cold, and in her sleepy state she really just wanted him there to warm her up) before shooting up quickly, frightening him (though he would never admit it to anyone). "You sure you want to risk that?"

He thought quickly and decided she was right. "Alright, it would probably be wiser to just stay here." He stripped down and pulled them both under the covers. Klaus pulled her closer to him, trying to warm her. Being vampires didn't make them immune from the elements, and she was only a year old vampire; he should have made sure that she had dressed warmer before they left Philadelphia or at least given her a coat.

_Stop it; I'm not a child, I should have known better._

_**I just want to take care of you sweetheart, and I knew it was going to be colder here than it was even in Philadelphia.**_

_Nik, you're a thousand years old; you forgot that I'm more susceptible to cold than you are. It won't kill me though. Now, I'm tired, so go to sleep._

Caroline woke the next morning with a stretch in what she quickly realized was an empty bed. She looked over at the place where Klaus should have been to find a note and a rose in his place.

Caroline,

I didn't want to wake you, I figured if you were still asleep you could use the rest, but everyone is here when you wake up. Feel free to just come out or take a shower first, or go back to sleep if that's what you want. Call for me if you need me, aloud or not.

I love you,

Nik

She decided that she had had enough rest, but she wanted a shower before greeting her friends. She checked her phone for the time and was shocked to see that it was almost noon. _I guess I really needed the rest. _She was careful to keep her thoughts to herself. She didn't want Klaus' siblings to not have a chance to spend time with their brother after not seeing him. She had been with him the whole time and she didn't want to be greedy.

She took her time in the shower, enjoying the feel of the water, but desperately wanting to see her friends again she cut it short. She got dressed, realizing that several long sleeve shirts had made their way to her wardrobe that had not been there when she had packed the day before. She rolled her eyes at him in her head and received his answering smirk before closing the connection once more to finish getting ready.

She stepped out of the room and was immediately greeted by Kol. "Ah, there's sleeping beauty!" He teased as he pulled her in for a hug. "I missed you Caroline."

She returned the hug and the teasing. "I missed you too Kol. Insufferable as you are."

From there she was passed from one set of arms to the next, greeting her little family before finally arriving in the arms of her love. "Afternoon sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" Klaus asked after he had given her a kiss to go with her hug.

"Hmm, very well thank you." She said before giving him another kiss. "The dream you gave me was wonderful as well." She added in a whisper. The dream he had given her, unlike the first ones from the beginning of their relationship, was of a less innocent nature. Not that she was complaining; it had been a wonderful and new experience.

He chose an answer that would work for both of her responses. "I'm glad." Short and simple; the devilish smile he sent her though promised that the dream would become a reality before too long. She wasn't going to complain about that either.

They spent the day learning where everyone had taken themselves before they came to the city. Elena, Elijah, Jeremy, and April had gone to Washington, D.C. Kol and Bonnie had gone the farthest north, choosing to go to Salem, Massachusetts (it was Bonnie's idea they assured everyone). And Rebekah and Matt had gone to Albany, New York. None of them gave their reasons for where they went, but they were all decent sized cities, and nothing odd had happened to any of them, so they figured they had made wise decisions.

They consecutively decided not to go sight seeing on that day; they really just wanted to catch up. So they spent the day in the penthouse; the girls painted each other's nails (Rebekah was _always_ prepared) and the men watched television.

Caroline noticed Klaus' eyes on her and sensed how he wished to be alone with her, but that he was trying his best to be unselfish with her at the same time. _I love you._ She sent to him, letting him know that she appreciated his efforts.

_**I love you too. I look forward to having you all to myself latter though.**_

She shivered in anticipation at his words, remembering the dream he had sent to her the night before, causing him to smirk at her.

"Would you too please stop eye-sexing each other?" Caroline stifled a groan at Kol's words as Bonnie threw a pillow at him that he easily dodged. She had forgotten how much of a nuisance he could be, especially when it came to his sibling's sex life.

"Kol." Elijah and Klaus both said at the same time (though Klaus' was really more along the lines of a growl).

"You know Nik, that dagger might be useful, just for a few minutes." Rebekah said from her spot on the floor. It seemed that someone (Kol) had finally managed to catch Rebekah with Matt. She hadn't expected anyone to arrive for days and had not locked the bedroom door. She wouldn't be making that mistake again. Ever.

They ordered a pizza up for dinner (it did not compare to the pizza Caroline had had in Italy by a long shot, but it was still pretty good) and watched the Twilight reruns on TV (Klaus was very offended that that was what his race had been made to be by modern times, and he and Kol set about making plans to decimate a few towns to restore the vampire image before Elijah put a stop to their murderous intentions; the girls just rolled their eyes at the boys, going back to their discussion on which choice was better for Bella).

Klaus was torturing her. He kept sending her images of the plans he had for that night, and she wanted him _so _badly. She wouldn't give in yet though, she just had to last a couple more- and then he ruined all her carefully made plans by sending her a particularly raunchy image. She made her excuses and bid everyone goodnight as quickly as she could and Klaus followed her; they both tried to ignore the suggestive winks Kol was shooting in their direction as they moved towards their bedroom.

The images he had been sending her did not do the real thing a shred of justice. It surprised her sometimes that it was never the same with him; there was always some new feeling he made her experience when they made love (she refused to call it simple sex with him; she had experience just sex and the way he loved her could not ever be comparable to that).

She drifted off in his arms feeling loved and safe. She knew that she would not change anything that had happened to her in her life because every experience had brought her to him and this all-consuming love. It was the best feeling she had ever had in her life. And she would give up anything to be with him. She had given up everything she was familiar with to be here with him and she found herself surprisingly not regretting it.

_How did you become my world?_

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and protective Klaus! (And my creative liberty with the Carlton) Next up is probably a short chapter that will have parts from Shane's point of view so we can understand what's going on in his head, and from there we'll see where it goes.**

**Until next time…**


	16. Chapter 15

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! So in this chapter we'll finally learn what Shane!Silas is up to. It'll go back in time to 4x04 when Bonnie, Elena, and Damon went to see Shane. Shane's part will move pretty fast; I don't want to reveal too much. **

**Past events are italicized, and then once we go back to present time italics will be thoughts.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 15**

**Shane's POV**

**Before Meeting Bonnie**

_Shane spotted the witch he was looking for in the crowd of students. Little Bonnie Bennett, she possessed a power she could not even imagine. He was finally going to achieve his goals._

_He had been alive for the past nine hundred years; warlocks, witches, kept him alive. He had been there for the creation of the five, had given the witch the idea, his goal in life was to destroy all vampires in the hopes that the legendary Silas would reward him with eternal life._

_He craved it, so badly. The spells only kept him young for so long, but they kept preforming them on him. He was a 'chosen one' of sorts; he had been born to find Silas and restore him. He had to stay alive to do that, though. He could not become a vampire; he would not ever become the very thing that he sought to destroy._

**After Meeting Bonnie**

_The Bennett witch had failed him; this had to have been the sixth generation of Bennett to not be able to give him what he desired. He was so tired of this. He needed to find Silas; he had to complete his destiny. _

_He would complete his destiny._

_Shane had a general idea of the location of Silas' body; he did not need a witch until the body was in his possession anyway._

_He booked a flight to Ireland that night, and caught the plane the next morning._

**Shane!Silas POV**

_Silas stretched his arms over his head, acquainting himself with what would be his body until he could be returned to his. __**Foolish boy thinking I would grant any other immortality, especially when they fail in simple tasks like bringing the witch with them when they try to resurrect me. I will make this Bonnie do my bidding.**_

_Silas remembered the reason for this all. __**Tatia, I will avenge you my love. And I will bring you back. **_

_He was quite put out though; normally he gained the person he was possessing's memories, but this boy had blocked parts. He could sense the holes in his memories, and it was greatly annoying him. No matter; he would find what he needed soon enough. And he had a feeling he should start with Mystic Falls._

**Present (still Silas's POV)**

**Mystic Falls**

They had been here. The insipid townspeople had been able to tell him that much. The Originals he had been hunting (unbeknownst to them) for a thousand years had almost been in his grasp and he had lost them. He needed the weapon to ensure their destruction, but these Originals were not foolish beings. They had probably begun their own search, and he needed them to get it then.

_Stupid humans, never knowing the right questions to ask! _Why did no one in this godforsaken town know where they had gone? He spotted someone in uniform, and it seemed his luck was getting better because she appeared to be the sheriff. He jogged over to her. "Excuse me ma'am, I'm looking for Elijah Mikaelson. He's an associate of mine, and I was supposed to meet him her, but everyone I have spoken to today has told me that he and his siblings left town?"

"Yes they left town a few days ago." The sheriff responded. He sensed her spike in heartbeat, part of being the most powerful warlock ever known due to his extreme connection to nature and living things, and knew that she was lying to him. He decided it might be time to exercise his powers, which were available to him even in this other body.

He pushed his consciousness towards hers. _You will tell me where they went and who went with them._ It was a subtler form of compulsion than vampires; they could barely sense the other being forcing them to their will. _Humans _he sneered internally.

"You know I think they said something about going to New York City." She said, but he sensed her reluctance to tell him who had gone. _Come, come dear. Tell me the names of who went. _She gritted her teeth imperceptibly, and he took a moment to appreciate her strength of will for whoever she was trying to protect. "Elijah, Klaus, Kol, and Rebekah went." _I know you're hiding something still. Now, tell me who else was with them when they left. _"Their girlfriends and Rebekah's boyfriend went with them and one of their siblings and his girlfriend."

Silas was growing impatient with this insolent woman. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now. If the Originals were seeing people… well, he wasn't above exploiting their weaknesses. _They're names dear, and who they are seeing._ "Elijah is seeing Elena, and her brother Jeremy is seeing April. Kol is seeing Bonnie. Rebekah is dating Matt."

Well, he would certainly start with Elijah's girl, but he wanted both the brothers to pay for being with his Tatia. "Is Niklaus seeing anyone?"

"Not that I'm aware."

He forced the woman to forget the encounter after that and go about her day; Silas walked away with a smile on his face. It seemed he would be going to New York. The plan was in motion, now all that it required was completion. And the Bennett girl would be there to restore him to his full glory. Revenge would be sweet.

**New York**

**Caroline's POV**

Caroline looked down at the people who looked so small from her current perch. "I thought they closed the crown."

"They did. But I am the Original hybrid, and I can bring my girl to the crown of the Statue of Liberty if I so desire to see that beautiful smile on her face." Klaus said smirking down at her. His arms were wrapped around her shoulders from behind and her head had tilted up at his words to glance at him.

He and Elijah were leaving in the morning to follow the next lead on the weapon, and he wanted to get in some sightseeing with her before he left (they hadn't had time for it the last time they had been here). He was taking her to the Empire State Building next, and then to a Broadway show (_Beauty and the Beast_, but Caroline had already sworn to never tell anyone how she had gotten him to acquiesce to that).

"Do you really have to go?" She asked, placing a kiss on his jaw.

He sighed as his eyes shut at the sensation of her lips touching his skin. "I wish I didn't sweetheart. I just have to know what is going on, and people are more afraid of me than Elijah and I get quicker results."

She turned in his arms so she could pout at him (the effect being lost when she put her arms around his neck and he rested his hands on her waist), but he quickly took the opportunity to kiss it away. "I'll be back as soon as I am able to love. And we can test out the speaking to each other over great distances part of the bond."

"It really is offensive how you think that one kiss will make me alright with you being gone." She smiled at him to let him know that she was _partially _teasing.

He smirked down at her. "How many would it take exactly?"

"Well, it would have to hold me over for however long you are gone." She stretched up and brushed her lips over his. "I'll let you know when you get there."

They almost missed the play that night (not that Klaus would have minded all that much about that), but he got them there. And Caroline could have sworn at one point she saw him smiling and mouthing the Beast's lines along with him. Klaus made sure to block her thoughts from him (only solidifying her suspicions), but she wouldn't tease him for it. She would be a fool not to see the similarities.

She hugged him when they were back on the street, paying no attention to the other people on the street. "Thank you Nik! I've always wanted to come to a Broadway show, and you made it even more perfect than I could ever imagine."

He smiled at her instead of pulling away as she had thought he might (sometimes in public he still was hesitant to show that he cared; she had questioned him about it, hurt that he was ashamed of her and he had explained that he didn't want word getting back to any of his enemies that he finally had a weakness). "Anything for you love."

They headed back to the hotel, hand in hand. Completely, blissfully unaware of the coming storm.

**Outside of Mystic Falls**

**Shane!Silas POV**

Silas had expected the Originals to have enemies; he just hadn't expected them to come to him so quickly. He didn't tell the group that had come to him his true goals, seeing as they were vampires themselves and that would harm his cause to get them to his side (he sincerely doubted that they wanted their own deaths included in the destruction of the Originals), but they would prove most useful for the time being. Especially when one of them informed him that Klaus was indeed involved with somebody…

Most useful indeed.

**New York **

**Caroline's POV**

_Well, _she reasoned, _at least I finally get to go shopping in New York City. I have to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. I miss him though…_

Caroline was getting ready to go on a shopping expedition with Rebekah, April, Elena, and Bonnie. They had made secret plans to ditch their three body guards (Kol being the only real threat) and somehow evade Klaus' hybrids that had strict orders not to let the girls (or human boys, but no one really felt like mentioning that) out of their sights. She knew this would upset Klaus, but really, she wasn't a target. If anyone was it would be Elijah and Klaus. They were the reason Tatia was dead anyway, so why would Silas come after her? _Maybe because every single time someone wants to hurt someone you love, they go for you first?_ She shushed her own thoughts; she was going to enjoy herself if it was the last thing she did.

Still, she couldn't get rid of her nagging sense of guilt at the thought of blatantly disregarding Klaus' and Elijah's warnings that they did not know who Silas would strike first. She decided it might be time to test out that long distance speaking right about now. _Nik?_ She didn't think this was actually going to work; it seemed much too crazy, even after everything that she had experienced in the past year.

_**Caroline!**_And his voice sounded so excited in her head that she knew he was almost as surprised by this as she was.

_Oh, it worked! Nik, I miss you, come home soon._

_**I've only been gone for three hours love. **_He reminded her and she could once again sense him smirking through their connection.

_I don't care. I worry about you Nik. _Caroline finally admitted to both of them the real reason she hadn't wanted him to leave; all this drama with Silas and the weapon that could destroy all vampires was leaving her very nervous.

_**I'll be fine sweetheart. I'll be back before you know it. Don't do anything to get yourself hurt.**_He ordered her gently, not all like he ordered anyone else. _**I have to go now. I love you Caroline.**_

_I love you too. _She felt his conscious slip away from her mind; she still felt guilty about leaving the house without the protection he had assigned to her, but really Rebekah would be there, and she was less breakable than any of the hybrids. She walked over to the window and slipped it open, knowing that the sounds of the street below would help to cover up at least some of the noise she and the other girls would make as they were leaving the house, and then she slipped out of the room.

The rest of them were already in the kitchen, and Rebekah nodded her head in the direction of the now unconscious hybrids littered on the living room floor. They crept silently to the front door, and then they were free. Well, not quite yet. They raced downstairs and ran down the sidewalk (at human speed), ignoring the looks of annoyance passerby shot at them. They finally stopped and collapsed against each other in a fit of giggles.

"Who's ready to finally do some shopping?" Bonnie asked as she held up the credit card Rebekah had asked her to steal from Kol.

They walked down the street, Rebekah leading the way. "Why don't you have a credit card Bekah? You always have to steal your brother's."

"Well Care, I'm a compulsive shopper. I think they all fear the damage I could do if I had one at all times. Not that I blame them." She smirked (in very Klaus like fashion Caroline noticed) as she said the last part, proud of her ability to strike fear in her brother's hearts. "Stealing them is so much more fun anyway."

**Ireland**

**Klaus' POV**

Klaus was glad that the witch had finally been able to decipher the grimoire. The quicker this was over with, the sooner he could get Caroline back to Mystic Falls, and the sooner he could show her the rest of the world. Apparently, there was a spell in the grimoire that required several objects to be collected that together could be used to find the weapon. It seemed the sword of one hunter was required, paired with a chalice and a shield. The chalice she had been able to locate with them help of the sword, but they needed the chalice to find the shield.

He couldn't help the worry in the back of his head over Caroline, though. He was under the impression she was hiding something from him… but he needed to focus on the task at hand. He would worry over her (and call her) latter. "Stonehenge seems quite the cliché location, doesn't it brother?" Elijah questioned from his position in the passenger seat of the car they had 'borrowed' from the nice man who happened to be close to the airstrip.

"Yes, but I have found it to be safer to not question witches and just do as they say and face the consequences as they come rather than the force of their wrath."

Elijah simply nodded at his brother's logic and went back to reading his book. Klaus' phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out quickly to answer it when he saw it was one of the hybrids he had assigned to protect Caroline and his heart was filled with foreboding as he shared a look with Elijah. "Zack, what can I do for you?"

"She's gone." Oh heads would roll when he got back to New York. Starting with this one.

He believed in killing the messenger.

**New York**

**Caroline's POV**

Once Caroline stopped looking over her shoulder every ten seconds (she could just imagine Kol being there behind her) she actually had fun. Okay, so what if Klaus would be mad? He was not her father he was her boyfriend. She would show him that she had been perfectly safe in his absence without a protection detail.

They must have gone to over a hundred stores in the course of the day, and they were still going. Five girls in New York City with a credit card? So not a good idea.

And all the immense fun she was having was ruined by two things. The first?

_**Caroline.**_ Her very overprotective boyfriend's voice growled in her head.

She opted to go for nonchalant; she hadn't done anything anyway (she loved that he protected her, but she didn't like being cosseted either). _Yes, Nik?_

_**What in the bloody hell do you think that you are doing?**_

_Shopping with your sister. We're perfectly safe Nik, nothing has happened and nothing will happen._

_**Have you met you? You are a gorgeous, living breathing danger magnet with neon signs pointing to you as if to say, "Oh, you need someone to torture? Well how about me, I'm quite willing"!**_

Okay, so he was really mad, but did he have to treat her like a child? _There's no need to be offensive!_

_**I can't lose you Caroline. If I lose you, I'll lose my light and become worse than I was before. **_And with those words, stark clarity finally struck Caroline. She was the first person who wasn't one of his siblings to genuinely care for him in a thousand years and he had let himself care for her. He, for all his pretentious ways, did not really want to be a cruel monster. He would hurt those who hurt the ones he loved, without a doubt, but he did not revel in being needlessly cruel; he had let himself be that man for so long, but he didn't want to be anymore. For her, the girl who hadn't been anyone's first choice, who was never worth the fight. She thought back to the time when she was pretending to hat him, when she thought he didn't deserve to have anyone. And now she wondered if it was her who didn't deserve him.

_You're not going to lose me, all right? _

_**Can you please try to be safe? After all this is over with Silas, you can go about your merry way within reason. He's extremely powerful Caroline, and I don't know what he's capable of, and that scares me.**_

She couldn't, in light of his honesty and obvious concern for her welfare, resent him for this. _All right, after today no more crazy risks until Silas is taken care of._

_**Caroline.**_

_Don't Nik. This isn't just about me; it's about all of them. They were tired of being cooped up indoors or escorted everywhere. Just give us today-_

_**Caroline! What's wrong?**_

And that was when the second thing happened. _Tyler just walked into the store Nik! What do I do?_ She reeled from the shock of seeing him again, and quickly ducked behind one of the racks of clothes.

_**Caroline, calm down love. Find everyone else and get home. I'll be there shortly. **_She sensed his temper rising to the surface as he sensed her fear at why Tyler was there, but he fought to control it in his efforts to comfort her. She (feeling very much like the ninja she had once wanted to be) found the other girls and managed to evade Tyler's notice as he scanned the store with his eyes, clearly looking for someone. They exited the store and hailed the nearest taxi as Caroline explained who she had seen. _**Are you safe love?**_

_In a car headed toward the hotel._

No more was shared between the couple. The girls arrived at the hotel and raced upstairs. All were shocked to find Klaus standing there in the middle of the room. "Nik?" Caroline managed to squeak out after several moments of heated silence. "How did you get here so fast?"

"When Zack told me you weren't here, I may have wolfed out and swam across the ocean." How did he manage to sound so blasé about swimming across the freaking Atlantic Ocean? He opened his arms to her though, and she couldn't resist anymore. She flung herself into his arms, needing him to take away the fear she had felt at seeing Tyler. In his arms she knew that she was safe.

"Nik, do you think Tyler could be working with Silas?" Rebekah voiced, still standing near the threshold of the door.

He sighed as he released his hold on Caroline, glaring quickly at his sister because he had a sinking suspicion that the little outing had been her idea in the first place. "I wouldn't discount the possibility. It could be mere coincidence that he was in the same store as you, but I highly doubt it."

Elena rubbed her arms, clearly worried by this likelihood. "What should we do?"

"Wait for Silas to make his move at this point. I doubt that he'll stop until he gets what he wants." Kol said walking out of the kitchen area, Matt and Jeremy in tow, glaring at all the girls for their little escape attempt (which had landed him a broken leg as soon as Klaus had come home) before walking up to Bonnie and cupping her face in his hand. "Are you alright darling?"

She nodded at him, and Caroline noticed how she leaned into his touch before embracing him and answering his question. "Just a little shaken up Kol. Tyler's bit Care twice, I would really rather he not do it a third time." All nodded their heads in agreement.

They all went their separate ways after that, Elena going to call Elijah to let him know what was going on. Klaus led Caroline to their room, and she shut the door behind her before turning to face him, her back pressed against the door. He swept his gaze over her body as if looking for something wrong, out of place, before striding over and putting his hands on the wall on either side of her head. "I could have lost you today." He said in a whisper.

She couldn't not touch him in that moment, not when she could see the images he had imagined of him finding her dead, so she wrapped her arms around his torso. "I'm sorry Nik. I just don't want to spend my life scared."

He leaned his forehead down to rest on hers as he breathed out and returned her embrace, pulling her away from the door and to the bed. "I'm sorry sweetheart. I'm new to all this, and I'm very overprotective of those I love. It scares me to think that I could go away for a few hours and come back to find you gone. I don't know what I'd do if I even thought you were lost to me."

"Oh Nik! Don't think like that please!" She grabbed his face in her hands and stared into his eyes. "I will not let anyone take me away from you."

Klaus needed to feel her, all of her. He had been so afraid that she was gone forever and that he would never see her again. He needed to be convinced of her survival and that she didn't want to leave him for Tyler, the secret fear that his extreme emotions were causing him to send to her. And Caroline knew just the thing that would convince him that she was not going to leave him because of death or because of any other man; that she was his as much as he was hers. She leaned closer to him and ran her tongue over the curve of his ear, eliciting a shiver from the Hybrid. "Nik, I want you to make love to me."

He looked quickly before growling low in his throat with need for her. Her shirt was quickly on the floor and he laid he tenderly as the bed in stark contrast with the heated kisses he was placing on her now exposed skin. His shirt soon joined hers. "I only want you Nik. I'll only ever want you." He sent her a dazzling smile, dimples and all, before going back to ravishing her skin.

They were soon both unclothed and pressed against each other. He pulled back quickly to look at her. "I love you Caroline."

"I love you too Nik." And then they were finally joined and it was passionate and beautiful and exactly what they both needed after the day's events.

Later they lay catching their breath, Klaus absentmindedly drawing patterns on her back with her head pillowed on his chest. "So, even your wolf form was worried about me?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, he is me love just in another form. And I can think coherently unlike most wolves, even if they are more animalistic thoughts." He informed her, returning with his own raised eyebrow.

"Oh? Like what?"

He heaved a sigh. "I don't know if you'll be happy love."

She fixed him with what she hoped was a stern expression (not an easy feat when she was lying naked against his naked body). "Nik, I'm not going to judge you for what you thought as a werewolf."

"I kept thinking that I had to save my mate because she was mine and I would tear out anyone's throats who dared to look at her." He finally admitted sheepishly.

"Anyone who looked at me?" She asked with a giggle.

"I think wolf me is even more possessive than normal me."

That made her laugh harder. "What's so funny?" He asked affecting his own stern expression (which was not anywhere near as scary as the stern expression he had for everyone else in the world).

"Y-you, are the opposite of normal." She informed him between laughs as he tried to keep scowling at her. Caroline's laughter proved to be contagious though, and soon they were engaged in a tickle fight (who would have thought?). She would swear that it was him latter and his insatiable need for her, and that he was the one to initiate their kissing this time. And then they were feeding from each other and that led to their previous activities being rekindled all over again.

He said that it didn't matter who started it because it turned out very well for both of them. They didn't leave bed (lost in each other and unwilling to face reality for these precious moments) until the next afternoon.

Caroline left first (clothed in nothing but his shirt; they had heard everyone leave at some point when they were resting for a moment); she was too hungry to wait for him as she headed to the kitchen to fix herself something to eat. There was a note from Kol telling them that everyone had left the apartment disgusted and scared for life because of her and Klaus' antics. She rolled her eyes at his dramatics and went back to trying to find something to eat.

And then a stake had somehow pierced her heart as she looked up into the eyes of Tyler.

It hurt. It hurt like hell, but not as bad as she expected it to; not nearly as bad as the wooden bullets had been, or even vervaine darts. And then Klaus was there pulling Tyler off of her and breaking his neck before crouching on the floor and pulling the stake out of her chest as he cradled her to him, broken sobs wracking his body. Why was Klaus crying; it was so out of character for him, and Caroline wondered what was making him react like this. _He thinks I'm dead. _She realized with a start. And why wasn't she dead? She had been staked in the heart. Wasn't she supposed to be dead? She still felt alive though, but it was like she couldn't draw in a proper breath. Then her lungs were filled back with air and she sat up in his arms suddenly.

"Caroline? You're alright?" He asked in disbelief, pulling her back to him and stroking her hair gently. In his despair he had not noticed her quiet breaths and her heart still beating it's precious rhythm.

"Yeah, but how?" She wondered aloud, brow furrowed in confusion as she unconsciously wiped the tears that still streaked his face away.

He breathed out in relief, placing a kiss on each of her hands and on her lips, reveling in her aliveness, before responding. "Well love, it's not like anyone had ever bonded with the Original Hybrid before. Maybe my blood is protecting you." He stood them both up and walked over to where Tyler had landed. "How did he get here? I compelled him to stay away from you. Call Kol. Tell him to get back here as soon as he can. I'll take care of this one."

"Are you going to kill him?" She found that she didn't care if he did at this point. Tyler had just tried to kill her after all.

He leveled her with a look, assessing her reaction. "Only after I get some answers sweetheart."

"Alright. Stake him a few times for me?" She asked, angry that Tyler had hurt her once again. _Hopefully this will be the last time that this ever happens. I don't know if I could survive this anymore._

That caused him to grin at her as he slung his first hybrid over his shoulder and took him to the room that currently also held Connor. "With pleasure sweetheart."

Caroline smiled back at him as she grabbed his phone from the kitchen counter. She dialed Kol's number and quickly told him only that Tyler had shown up at the hotel, careful to leave out any details of her almost death at Tyler's hand as she went to the bathroom to clean up before the whole group came back. She hung up and examined her chest in the mirror. _Not so much as a scratch left. _"Caroline?" Klaus' voice came from the doorway. "You sure you're alright, love?"

"Yeah. I'm just really confused still, even if your explanation makes complete and total sense."

He walked over to her and turned her body to him so he could assess the damage. "I can't say that I'm upset you didn't die."

"Well, that's a very good thing." Caroline quipped as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "I need to take a shower. Why aren't you getting your information?"

"He's sort of unconscious sweetheart. No use torturing him when he won't even remember it. Go on and take your shower. I'll be waiting out here."

She ignored him when she came out wrapped in a towel, knowing that she could easily give in to him at this moment and seriously wanting to just jump him. _Some left over 'survival of the species' instinct? Well, sorry to inform you body, but I can't get pregnant._ She dressed quickly; they needed to worry about the problem at hand and she would just need to find a way to control her raving hormones. Not to mention, she didn't think that she could deal with Kol's teasing tonight. Speak of the devil…

"Caroline, Nik! Are you alright?" Everyone else soon joined Kol in asking after their welfare and Klaus and Caroline walked out of the room together. "What happened Caroline?"

"Tyler staked her in the heart." All gasped at Klaus' revelation.

Rebekah was the first to recover her voice. "How is she alive Nik?"

"We blood bonded. I suspect it has something to do with that. Bonnie, if you'd be so kind as to see if there is any information about this in any of your grimoires?"

Bonnie nodded, moving off to her and Kol's room to collect the grimoires that she had brought with her and bringing them to the livingroom.

Everyone swarmed Caroline, asking how she was. Kol took the opportunity to pull Klaus away. "What are you planning to do to the Lockwood boy Nik?"

Klaus smirked, one of his dangerous ones. "I find torture to be most effective in gathering information, don't you?"

Kol responded with a smirk of his own. No one messed with the Original family.

**A/N: I almost gave you a cliffhanger but decided not to be so needlessly cruel. Just a quick explanation of Silas' mind control powers: if you've seen Star wars, imagine it as kind of a Jedi mind trick, that it only works on the weak minded. Liz was able to protect Caroline's identity because her emotional connection with her is strongest. Which was sort of voided by Silas' mystery supporters (any guesses?). Anyway, hope you like this chapter! Sorry for switching back and forth between points of view, but I achieved the effect I was going for so… **

**Until next time…**


	17. Chapter 16

**Thank you for your continued support! I love writing this story so much, but it helps that so many people seem to like it as well! I have finals coming up, so please be patient with me in the coming weeks as it may take me longer to update. Sorry this is shorter, but again, lots of school work.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 16 **

To say that Klaus in that moment hated the Lockwood boy would be an understatement of epic proportions. This boy had caused him nothing but problems since he had sired him, but trying to kill Caroline? That took things just a tad bit too far.

Klaus did not take it lightly when people crossed him or hurt those he loved. He would like nothing more than to rip the pathetic excuse of a heart out of the boy's chest. He knew that Elijah was right though, as much as he hated to admit it. They had to see why the boy had come and why he had tried to stake Caroline.

Which was another matter altogether, because as much as he was glad that she was alive and unharmed, it completely made no sense. He hoped that Bonnie could find the answer; he needed to know if it was a one off because she had drunk his blood the night before or if it was something more.

"Ah, there he is. He's finally waking up Nik." Kol's voice broke him out of his thoughts. Kol slammed the bat in his hand- _what was with his brother and that bat?- _into Tyler's stomach.

Klaus kept his distance, letting his brother do the torturing, fully planning on being the one to end Tyler's life. He wasn't sure that he could torture him without killing him before they got any answers. Kol was the obvious solution to that problem; he was very good at bringing people to the brink of death and never let his anger get in the way of his true goal. He respected that about him; Klaus was… a loose cannon, and he knew it. His anger had led to many an unfortunate event that had come back to bite him. Still, he wanted to be here to watch the boy suffer.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Kol Mikaelson, and you managed to piss me off. You see, my brother is an insufferable brute, and you tried to take away the one thing that makes him a little tolerable. Plus, I find myself liking the girl that you so callously tried to kill. Added to that, she's one of my girlfriend's best friends, and she wouldn't have taken it kindly if you had succeeded in killing Caroline." Every third word was punctuated by the sick thud that came everything Kol's bat connected with a part of Tyler's body. Klaus found himself grinning despite himself. He quite enjoyed seeing his brother like this. "Now, we have questions and you're going to answer them."

"What makes you think that I would tell you anything?" Tyler spat out, along with a mouthful of blood and several teeth Klaus noticed with grim satisfaction. "The whore deserved to die."

That statement propelled Klaus into action and across the room. Tyler quite suddenly found himself without a liver. Klaus' voice took on a deadly calm quality that was usually the signal someone was about to die as he leaned menacingly into Tyler's face. "You will not refer to her in such a manner. In fact, you will not refer to her at all, unless it answers one of our questions." He compelled, ignoring the look of disgust the boy shot him. He quite suddenly found himself wanting the boy to suffer for hours, days, centuries even, to repay the crimes he had committed to Caroline. He didn't want him dead any more; he wanted him in constant pain for the rest of his miserable existence.

"Now, why don't you tell us who sent you, and we won't hurt you too badly." Kol cut in with his trademark smirk before his brother did something rash that they were all sure to come to regret. "Well, except for this."

Tyler looked down to see the baseball bat (aluminum, but still incredibly painful) sticking through his middle, before his shock disappeared and he screamed in agony.

This was going to be a long night.

Meanwhile, Bonnie thought that she had found the answer to why Caroline wasn't dead after taking a stake to the heart; when the grimoires produced no answers, she turned to the only other source that she could. "The spirits didn't want to help me at first, but I managed to convince them that it was important. Apparently, when you blood bind, it also binds the two participant's life forces. No ones ever experience it with an Original before, though, so the consequences of that have never been known. Until now that is."

"What are you saying Bonnie?" Elena asked from her spot next to Caroline on the couch.

"Klaus is an immortal Original and it's obviously near impossible to kill him. That has almost been transferred to Caroline. Not completely, just enough that she's a bit more durable then she was before."

"That's a bit of an understatement Bonnie darling, don't you think?" Kol asked, walking out of the room with Klaus that Tyler was being held in with a pleased smirk on his face. Looked like they had gotten the answers they were looking for. "In case you hadn't noticed, wooden stakes to the heart kill vampires." Klaus shot him a dirty look, but motioned for Bonnie to continue. HE would deal with his brother later.

Bonnie glared at Kol quickly, obviously annoyed that he had interrupted her explanation. "What the witches told me was that it's a protective shield almost. Klaus, unconsciously, wanted to make sure she was safe and that he wouldn't lose her and managed to push his own invulnerability at Caroline basically. It's very complicated, and not even the spirits understand it completely. They've never seen anything like this."

"So, basically I can't die?" Caroline asked, thinking of the possibilities this could have in getting them out of their current situation (she was such a good blond distraction), and Klaus glowered at her. "What Nik?"

He didn't back down, crossing his arms over his chest and continuing to glare at her. "This doesn't give you leave to run off and get yourself killed sweetheart in whatever suicide mission you are currently planning."

Caroline stood and crossed the room over to him, both of them ignoring the rest of the people in the room. "If Silas can't kill me-"

"No." He growled out cutting off whatever she had been about to say.

She huffed and crossed her own arms over her chest, copying his stance (unintentionally, causing every one to hide their smirks because they were acting like an old married couple). "Aren't we going to discuss this?"

"It isn't up for discussion." They were now standing toe-to-toe glaring at each other. "The spirits could be wrong. Bonnie said they've never seen this before."

"He doesn't know about me, maybe I can-"

He cut her off again. "He knows about you thanks to the hybrid boy."

The anger fell away from her face, replaced by worry. "What? What did Tyler do?"

"He told Silas that in exchange for his help in getting you away from me he would help him with his goals." All in the room gasped in unison and shared looks of shock.

"But why- he's with Hayley." Caroline scrunched her brow trying to make sense of the situation.

"It seems that he didn't want to lose you to me, and wanted to be with both of you." Klaus spat out, angered that Tyler had thought that it would be acceptable to use Caroline in such a manner.

"Seriously? I obviously picked the better man." Klaus finally let himself relax at her statement and he pulled her into his arms; he had thought for one terrifying moment that she would go back to Tyler when she knew that he had wanted her back (which was rather foolish considering that Tyler had just tried to kill her, but still). "Why'd he try to kill me then? And how did he break your compulsion to stay away from me?"

"It seems seeing you in my shirt pushed him over the edge. He had thought you were just trying to make him jealous after him and Hayley. And as for the compulsion, apparently Silas has the power to reverse it even in his 'weakened' form."

Caroline pulled back to look at him as she scoffed, only focusing on the part that Tyler actually thought she cared about making him jealous. "Seriously?"

"There's more darling." Kol spoke up from where he now sat, Bonnie now on his lap. "Apparently Hayley was in on this. Along with Stefan and Damon."

Elena pursed her lips in annoyance; were they capable of staying out of their lives? "Any reason why they're all working with the crazy vengeful warlock that wants us all dead?"

"It seems they think that we Originals compelled you all to like us." This caused many eye rolls and snickers.

Rebekah sneered. "How like the Salvatore's to be unable to believe that anyone would want to spend time with people who aren't them."

"But Silas wants the end of vampires. Why would they work with him?" Bonnie questioned.

Klaus sighed as he pulled Caroline to the couch and sat down pulling her against his body. "It seems that Silas left out that part. Tyler seemed to be under the impression that we were looking for a cure for vampirism, and Damon and Stefan are trying to win Elena back by getting it for her."

The conversation was cut short by the sudden ringing of Elena's phone. "It's Elijah, hold on for a second." Elena hung up after bringing him up to speed on the recent events. "He's on his way now, he just needs you guys to pick him up from the airport. He has the chalice."

"Excellent. We're steps ahead of Silas at this point." Kol said, rising from his seat, cocky as ever and confident in their victory.

"Unless this is what he wants." Jeremy spoke up. "What if he doesn't know where the tools to find the weapon are and he's leaving all the hard work to us?"

"We'll have to look at that possibility. We can't leave it out there, though. We need to find it and destroy it before he has a chance to strike." Klaus spoke as he joined his brother by the door. "We'll get Elijah. Stay here." Seeing Caroline about to respond, he added, "Please."

She flashed over to him and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "You know one of these days you're going to have to get over your fear of losing me."

"Never, not when I have won something so precious."

_Why did he always know what to say?_ He smirked at her, she had pushed her thoughts at him _again_ and she scowled before giving him another quick kiss. "Go get your brother."

She waited till she was sure he was far away before going toward the room where Tyler was.

"Care? What are you doing?" Rebekah asked, questioning the girl's sanity.

"I have a few questions for my ex-boyfriend." She said as she turned the knob on the door, finding herself not shocked by the condition Tyler was in. It seemed he wasn't healing from the wound's Klaus and Kol had inflicted on him. Probably due to the wolfs bane and vervaine needles sticking out of his arms.

"Caroline, what the hell do you want?" This caused Caroline to raise her eyebrows at him in shock. He had tried to kill her, for the third time she might add, and he thought he had any right to talk to her that way?

Before she could stop herself, or really even think of what she was doing, she picked up one of the stakes lying on the table and rammed it into his stomach, relishing in his scream of pain. She hated that this felt good, but he had hurt her so much. She was tired of people thinking that they could walk all over her. She wasn't girly little Caroline anymore, and she was tired of being treated like this. And she was beyond rationally being angry at him. "You know, you should be apologizing for what you did to me. You could have killed me, yet again. And you don't even care! I want to know how the hell you thought I would give you a chance after everything that you have done?"

"I didn't think you'd actually give that monster a chance! I didn't mean to hurt you!" He snarled back at her.

Caroline scoffed at his foolish responses as she pulled the stake out of him. "He's not a monster. You are."

That caused Tyler's hybrid features to come out. "You are mine!"

_Oh great, freaky werewolf possessiveness; at least with Nik it's cute, but him? What right does he have?_ Her survival instinct kicked in though and she scooted away from him before he bit her; she really didn't want to see if Tyler's bite was still lethal to her amidst whatever the blood connection she had with Klaus was doing to her. "Well, it's too bad that you think that, cause I'm about to disappoint you. You see, I have no desire to belong to someone that wants to murder me." Another thrust of the stake, this time into his leg.

"Care-" He bit out, clearly annoyed that she was not on his side this time.

"Don't you dare Tyler. I love Nik; if I belong to anyone, it's to him. And you have no right to claim me as yours after everything that you have done. You lost that right a very long time ago. In fact, around about the time you bit me the first time." This felt… good. For once, Caroline was really defending herself the way she had always wanted to. She pushed the stake into him one last time, just under his heart. "There, now we're even."

"Care, we think we know what's going on with him." Bonnie said from the door.

After throwing a final withering glance in Tyler's direction, she left the room with Bonnie. "So, what do you think is wrong with him?"

"We think it might be a combination of things, and I consulted with the spirits again; apparently they hate Silas more than me at the moment. According to them, the sire bond played a toll on his mind, as did breaking it. Getting compelled to do something against your will can have an effect, and when Silas removed the compulsion without using compulsion, it caused a psychotic break. And we think Silas is controlling him to a certain extent. We think Silas wants you dead to get to Klaus."

_Oh someone wants me dead, surprise there. _She focused on what was going on with her old friend though. "You think Tyler's gone crazy?" She tried not to feel bad for him, but she couldn't help it. She felt a very tiny bit of a smidgen bad for him.

_**You're too nice for your own good sometimes, Caroline love.**_

_Shut up Nik and go get your brother._

_**I'll see you soon sweetheart.**_

She shook her head at her boyfriend's antics-_there is a little boy somewhere in him dying to get out, invading my mind just cause he can- _"So what do we do?" She asked glancing at the faces around the room.

"Care, we think it would be best to put him out of his misery. We know that he's hurt you, but this might be the most merciful thing to do. And we can't risk him getting out and hurting any of us again."

"Elena! I can't- are you saying that I should kill him?" Her mind was reeling; she had thought Klaus would be the one to kill him, not her. Never her. She hated him right now, but she didn't want to be the one to kill him.

"Care, we think it would be best. And whatever's going on his mind, he'd probably like the small act of forgiveness before he dies."

Caroline saw the value in Elena's words, even if this was something that she had never imagined she would ever have to do. _Nik?_

_**Whatever you decide love I will support you. This is your choice Caroline. If it was up to me, I'd make him suffer, but he hurt you, and it should be your choice.**_

That helped, knowing that Klaus wouldn't think less of her if she did this, even as she noticed him trying to convince himself that this was the right course of action (she could sense how much he wanted to kill Tyler himself). She nodded her head at the group in the room. "All right, I'll do it."

She walked back into the room at a slower pace than when she had left it. She knew what she had to do; on an obscene level, she still cared about him because of what they had had. She walked up to him slowly, cautiously, aware that he could strike out at any moment, and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Tyler, I'm mad at you for all you've done. But I think I can forgive you." She looked into his eyes as she said the words, noticing the crazed look to them.

"Really? Care that's great, we'll get you out of here and-" whatever he had been about to say was cut off when one of Caroline's hands, as gently as she could, reached into his back and grabbed his heart. And she saw the crazed look leave his eyes in that moment as he nodded his head at her, the realization of what was going on flooding him. With a sob, she tore his heart out and he mouthed that he was sorry.

She dropped the organ to the floor quickly as six sets of arms surrounded her and pulled her from the room to one of the couches. She didn't just cry for the loss of Tyler's life; she cried because she hated killing people, and because their relationship had always been leading to this point. And that was a horrible thing to know. And she cried for the loss of who Tyler could have been; she didn't mourn for who he had become, the man who kept hurting her over and over again, she mourned for the loss of who he really was in a way she hadn't let herself when they first broke up; she wept for the lost boy she had comforted when he was confused over becoming a werewolf. That was who she would miss; that was the person who she was sorry she had killed.

No one said anything, they just continued to rock Caroline comfortingly in their arms, all of them managing to keep in constant contact with her.

That was how Klaus, Elijah, and Kol found them several minutes latter when they walked through the door, and they all released Caroline. Klaus didn't say a word, merely walked to the sofa, lifted Caroline into his arms, and sat back down with her cradled to his chest. He made shushing noises and rubbed her back, trying to soothe the girl he loved. "I'm sorry!" she cried into his shoulder as she clutched his shirt in her hands. "I don't still have feelings for him, I just-"

"Hush love. I know, we all know. You lost someone that used to be important to you. No one expects you to be happy about that." Klaus found himself, rather surprisingly, to not be jealous in the slightest that she cried over Tyler. He knew he had no reason to be; not because the boy was dead, but because her tears weren't over a want to be with Tyler but because she felt she had no right to decide if someone lived or died. "I cried after I killed Mikael, and I hated him. No one will judge you for being upset at the loss of Tyler's life." _He always knew what to say to make her feel better; to let her know that someone understood how she was feeling and what she was going through. Did he have to be so amazing?_ She didn't feel like crying anymore, suddenly at that realization. She had shed all the tears that Tyler deserved from her.

"Kol, take care of the body." Klaus ordered quietly as her tears subsided.

"Wait! I just need to see him one more time. I need to apologize." She ignored the quizzical glances of everyone else in the room; all that mattered was that Klaus nodded his head at her in understanding. She stood up shakily and returned, for the last time she hoped, to the room.

The sight of Tyler's dead body almost made her break down in tears once more, but she wasn't going to do that again. She walked calmly to where he still hung and got his body freed from the chains that bound him. "Tyler, I don't know if you can hear me, but I need you to know how sorry I am. I strung you along, fought my feelings for Klaus, and lied to you about it. I was too busy being mad at you because of Hayley to ever tell you that. And I'm sorry. We both cheated on each other; you physically, but I did it emotionally. We were never meant to be together really, I guess, and we hurt each other a lot. You were my friend first though, and I forgive you Tyler. I hope you're happy and free somewhere."

She got up and never looked back. He was her past, and she was happy with her present, no matter how crazy and messed up it was. She loved Klaus in a way that she couldn't have imagined with anyone else. Klaus came to her when she left the room, and she let him take her into his arms, barely noticing Kol going into the room in her wake. "You alright love?"

"Yeah, actually." And she was; it was better this way, she told herself, _Tyler was always being controlled, and now that won't happen ever again._

Kol came out minutes later; no one asked what he had done with Tyler's body. "How about we go out for some of that famous New York pizza?" He suggested with a grin. "Get out of this hotel, yeah?"

They all nodded their agreement, and soon they were bundled up and headed down the street. Looking to all the world like one big huge family. But there was one man, lurking in the shadows who knew exactly what they really were and hated them for it.

And he was less than pleased by the day's developments. It had put quite the kink in his master plan.

He had counted on Tyler's anger at his ex girlfriend, coupled with the conflicting memories he had placed in his head, to drive him to kill Klaus' little girlfriend before Silas killed him. He wanted Klaus to experience the same pain he had at knowing that he would never see the light of his life again. He would kill her, and Elijah's- wait. Was that-? _Tatia?_

**A/N: So… I hope there was no lost love for Tyler. I feel sort of sad that I killed him, but on a level he definitely deserved it so… to those of you who guessed that Tyler, Hayley, Stefan, and Damon were working with Silas, congrats! I didn't think they would be too happy about being tortured and compelled to leave town, and it was always my plan to bring them back in some way. I want some closure with these characters. I hope this cleared up any questions about Caroline's survival last chapter. And there were hints to Shane!Silas in this chapter to an extent, so do with that what you will.**

**Until next time… (When I will either be really happy with the events of 4x07 or in a murderous rage)**


	18. Chapter 17

**Oh my god 4x07 was awesome (I made sounds that weren't human)! And I feel better about my portrayal of Klaus after that. So, yet again, instead of working on homework, I'm writing this chapter for you! Enjoy lovelies! **

***Silas does not know about the existence of doppelgangers, sorry for not making that clear before (I'll explain at the bottom).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries (or any of the lines from last night that I steal)**

**Chapter 17**

Silas was reeling from the shock of seeing her. How could Tatia be alive? She was dead. He had seen it. It had been his driving force for the past thousand years; destroy vampires for killing his love and for thinking themselves worthy of her. There was no way for her to be here. And yet his eyes did not lie, for there she was mere feet away when she had been dead for centuries.

He took a moment to appreciate her beauty; she was still as beautiful as the day that he had met her so long ago, she still was the gorgeous girl that had managed to catch his notice and hold it for all this time. Silas remember how deeply he had felt for her; he had never felt that way about anyone, ever. And that had been callously ripped from him, only to be returned to him here and now.

He watched as she fell behind her group of friends, taking in the sights of the city he supposed, his Tatia had always found wonder in the smallest of things, and he was about to approach her, take her away from the monsters that she had found herself with, when the Bennett witch called for her. "Elena, hurry up!"

_Elena? Why would she change her name?_ _And why is she with them? Didn't they do enough damage to her? _Silas was unsure what this all could mean, Tatia's reappearance in his life, but he intended to find out. He needed a few hours, though, to compose himself from the shock. It would hurt to have her see him in this form, but she would know that it was him, she had to right? They were soul mates; she would recognize him in any form that he took.

Meanwhile, the completely oblivious (for once; Klaus would later think that he was losing his touch, but would shrug that thought off. He wouldn't trade Caroline for anything, not even being the one that was always ahead) Originals and company were enjoying themselves, amidst the days troubling events (which is why Caroline suspected Klaus was trying to distract her with random facts about New York's architecture and keep her mind off killing her ex boyfriend), over genuine New York pizza. They had been talking about possibly moving on to a new city, Tyler had found them after all and if that "idiot hybrid of yours" ("Don't Kol" was firmly ground out by Klaus, who shot Caroline a worried look, but she shook her head. She had no lingering feelings for Tyler) could find them, how much longer until Silas did when he was supposed to be all-powerful? They had fallen into a moment of contemplative silence when Bonnie spoke up, rather suddenly with a complete change of topic. "Okay, we need to get to know each other better if we're going to be living together and traveling the eastern seaboard together. So, one time in your life when you wished you were a normal human being without any supernatural crap in your life, and then pick the next person to go. So who's first?"

"Well, it's your idea darling," Kol said with a smirk, draping an arm around her shoulders. "You should start."

"I guess that's fair. Well, when I met my mom again. I wish it hadn't been because I needed her to help me with something magic related and that it could have been a normal mother/daughter reunion, as weird as that in itself sounds. And I wish she hadn't left again. You?" She returned quickly, not wanting to focus on that traumatic event, and Caroline could tell from her the look she sent Kol that the punishment would be severe if he didn't participate.

He seemed to notice as well, and made the wise decision to participate. "Well, if I must, I must. I guess I'd like to be human now. Go to school, college, maybe even become a professional baseball player." They were all shocked that Kol of all people would want these things (Bonnie had completely expected him to say something stupid and meaningless like "I'm too good to be normal"), but they could all tell from his tone that he was being nothing but sincere. "You're next Jeremy."

"Hey, sorry, I have no meaningful one moment of realization that I wanted the supernatural gone from my life. I've wished I could be normal since the moment I found all this stuff out; life would be so much easier if we didn't have to deal with all this stuff. I know you're new to this and all, but what about you April?"

"I agree with Jeremy, but at the same time I've found a family that I wouldn't have had otherwise so I wouldn't give it up if I had the choice." Jeremy nodded at her words, realizing that she was right, not noticing the pained expression that had formed on Elena's face turn to relief. "Go ahead Bekah."

"I agree with Kol; I'd like to be normal now, in this moment even. A normal group of friends enjoying lunch together in one of the best cities in the world. Not running for their lives from a psychopath. And you, Matt?"

"I guess when my sister died. I wish it hadn't been because she had almost tried to kill people; I wish she had had a chance to turn her life around and make something of it. Elena?"

"You know, even with everything I've gone through, I wouldn't trade it for anything; all this has helped make me a stronger person and find out who I really am. I wish my mother had been human though; that she hadn't turned her humanity off and I could have had a better reunion with her. You're up Elijah."

He let out a breath before answering. "When Ester tried to kill us; I wanted nothing more than to be what she wanted us to be: human and long dead. Niklaus, what's your moment?"

"Now why would I want to be anything other than the most powerful being on the planet?" She should have known that he would say something like that. Caroline was surprised to say the least, when Bonnie had suggested it, she didn't expect everyone to participate so willingly; she had expected it to be like pulling teeth with every single one of them. It hadn't been though; they were comfortable enough with each other to talk about things like this. And _her_ boyfriend had to go and ruin the streak. She rolled her eyes at him, but knew that that would be his final word on the subject; he would not do anything that he did not want to do.

"I'll go. My moment was when my dad was trying to 'fix' me," she felt Klaus' hand tighten on hers at her words, as he knew exactly what she had been through, before she continued on, "I wanted him to not feel like he needed to do that. I wanted to be his normal insecure, neurotic, control freak daughter because that would be better, no matter how much I hated that part of myself, than being something that he hated."

"Well, we know most of us better now." Kol said with a pointed glance in Klaus' direction; clearly, he had taken his girlfriend's side in this issue and was none too happy about Klaus' lack of participation when he himself had chosen to take part in it.

They turned to lighter topics after that, mostly about Christmas and how they were celebrating no matter what was going on; it was their favorite holiday and they didn't care if Klaus did not care for Christmas music. Caroline couldn't help but wonder, though, if Klaus did have a moment, or if he really never wanted to be human.

Only later, when they had returned to the hotel and into the safety of their own bedroom, alone for once as all the other couples had parted ways with them and gone out for the night gallivanting across the city, did Klaus reveal exactly what his one time of longing to be human had been.

"I didn't want to tell everyone before the moment that I wished to be human; I don't feel comfortable with all of them knowing. I want you to know, though." He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the bed. "I was on a trek in the Andes and a hummingbird flew to me, it just hovered there staring at me. It's tiny heart pattering like a machine gun. And I thought what a thing to have to work that hard everyday just to stay alive. To be constantly on the verge of death. And how satisfying everyday must be that it survived. That was the only time I thought about being human. I've never told anyone that story before."

She was touched; this man that she had fallen in love with was so deeply layered and she was so extremely grateful that he had chosen her, that she had given him a chance. That _she_ was the one who got to know this side of him; not his siblings, _her._ That was a new experience for her; to be the one people shared secrets with first. To be the person that someone wanted to tell something like that too.

No words were needed after that, they merely crawled under the covers together. They only slept that night in each other's arms; neither of them felt that they need to do anything more though because it felt right to not and it was so much better than anything either of them had ever had before, to just lay in the comforting embrace of the person that they were in love with. And neither of them wanted to ruin that.

The rough banging of the front door slamming against the wall awaked them a few hours later. They looked at each other in a panic for a moment, Klaus planning how he would get Caroline away from the impending danger, but the voice that rang out was not foreign. "Nik!" Klaus got up and flashed to the living room to find Kol putting a very unconscious Bonnie on one of the couches.

"What happened?" Caroline asked, rushing over to her friend and immediately noticing that she was bleeding from her head. This was not good; there was no way that this could be good. Not with that much blood. Which they all oddly seemed to be ignoring as though it was not tempting their very nature, and Caroline was surprised to find that it indeed did not. This was her friend, her sister, and now was not the time to worry about feeding.

"It was Shane- Silas, whoever he is. We were with Elena and Elijah, and he thought Elena was Tatia. He tried to take her, and Bonnie being the stubborn thing that she is tried to stop him. He used magic and threw her against a wall." Kol quickly explained in a panicked voice. "Elijah got Elena out of there, but I don't know where he took her."

Caroline placed an arm around his shoulder as Klaus checked Bonnie's breathing. "We'll worry about them latter. Right now our concern needs to be Bonnie." She tried to sound reassuring for him, but she was scared too.

"Kol, I'm not sure if she's going to make it." Caroline tried to interrupt him, knowing that this was probably true, she had been thrown against a wall for heavens sake, but that didn't mean he needed to tell Kol that, but Klaus he shot her a look and she stopped; Kol was his brother after all. "We need to be prepared for that possibility. Had she decided on changing?"

"Yes, she's been taking my blood merely as a precaution in case something were to happen like this. But she didn't really want it; only if she were to die so we could still be together." Kol sounded close to tears, and both Klaus and Caroline sent each other shocked glances.

Any doubts Caroline might still have harbored about Kol's feelings for Bonnie and Bonnie's feelings for Kol vanished in that moment. "Hey, she wouldn't have taken your blood if she didn't want this, even a little bit. She obviously wants to be with you. We need to get her to a hospital now though. We should do whatever we can to preserve her life before it's too late."

Which was how they found themselves in some hospital waiting for the new of how Bonnie was. Which was rather disconcerting for both of the Originals present; neither of them had ever wanted someone to retain their human life, and they wanted Bonnie to in that moment. Even Klaus found that he wanted the girl to survive for his brother, with no ulterior motive. _Is this what having a family is actually supposed to be like? _He would redress that question latter, right now there were bigger issues at hand. "Calm down Kol, you'll wear a hole in the floor." He said, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder and pushing him into a chair stopping his incessant pacing.

"I just need her to be okay Nik." Kol whispered in a voice Klaus had not heard since they were children. His brother sounded so _young _in that moment. He barely noticed Caroline excuse herself to go and question the doctors so focused was he on comforting his brother. It had been so long since this was needed; not since they were both boys and Mikael had beat Kol for the first and last time. Klaus wouldn't let his brother feel that pain then, and he would do whatever he could to ease his pain now.

"Kol, look at me." He waited until he had done as he had asked before continuing on, "Bonnie will be fine either way; you're not going to lose her. She'll either come out of this still a witch or as a vampire. And either way, you will figure it out together. She is a strong girl; if anyone can handle being a vampire, it would be her."

Kol took a deep breath, nodding his head at Klaus' words, and Klaus knew that his words had been the right thing to say and that they had been accepted. "What if she doesn't drink Nik?"

"Oh Kol, you really love her don't you?" What was becoming of the fearsome Originals of legend and lore? _You're letting your humanity back in for the first time in centuries. _"It has to be her choice; if you force her to change, she may never forgive you. It would be better to lose her than to have her hate you for all eternity." He managed to get out what he wanted to say just as Caroline came back, the rest of the group in tow. "Look who I found in the lobby."

They sat there, pensive together, waiting for what felt like hours but was not long at all. And Caroline realized that this, _this_, felt normal. She remembered when her grandfather had died and all her cousins and aunts and uncles had done exactly this, sat in a waiting room and waited for him to die. It was horrible, and yet it was beautiful to realize that they could have normal human moments.

They waited in tense silence as the time went on, not believing that in this case no news was good news, and then the news they had been dreading came. Bonnie didn't make it.

What followed next was a series of compulsions and trying to sneak a seemingly dead body out of a hospital without anyone noticing, because they couldn't let them take Bonnie to the mortuary especially not in a hospital full of blood, which was no easy feat they discovered. They managed somehow though, Kol never relinquishing his hold on Bonnie's body once he had taken her from the bed. It would have been comical if not for the fact that their friend was technically dead and they had to sneak her through the city. The coolers full of blood bags probably didn't help either. Regardless, they made it back to the hotel with few mishaps, only having to compel a few people.

Kol placed Bonnie gently on the bed, everyone with the exception of Jeremy and April crowding into the room (they were human after all, and they doubted Bonnie would be happy if she hurt either one of them), taking posts in various locations around the room, Kol never leaving her side. And they waited for something that they hadn't thought would ever happen to Bonnie of all people.

Caroline thought back to a year ago, before all this vampire stuff. Her, Bonnie, and Elena, facing high school just like every other teenager in America. And then everything had changed; she was a vampire, Elena was a vampire, and Bonnie was going to be one too because Caroline did not have the same doubts that seemed to be plaguing Kol. She knew Bonnie would complete the transformation; if she had agreed to take Kol's blood that meant she wanted this on some level.

So they waited for Bonnie to wake up and make her choice.

**Shane!Silas**

"Where is your little hybrid friend Hayley? He was supposed to kill Klaus' little plaything. But I saw her on the street and no sign of him." Silas growled, though Shane's voice did nothing for what his actual voice could have done. _Oh the days of striking fear into the hearts of the masses just by opening my mouth. I miss you._ He had to admit though, that he was more upset by the loss of Tatia and the life of the Bennett witch than by the loss of Tyler. He supposed he could find another powerful witch, or ten, to match the power of Bonnie. They would have to be powerful though….

But he had heard his love's voice! Oh that had been a wonderful thing to hear. She hadn't seemed to recognize him though… which meant that the Original's had messed with her mind. Oh they were going to die. He would make sure of it.

"I don't know, but if he wasn't successful, they probably killed him." He saw the girl fight back tears. Pathetic. Tears for the wolf boy? The boy who had already cheated on her? He couldn't stand these lesser beings. As soon as her usefulness wore out she would be dead.

**The Hotel**

Bonnie woke with a gasp and Kol was quick to comfort her, telling her what had happened. "So I'm in transition." It wasn't a question; Bonnie knew the process.

"Yes." Kol hesitated visibly before pressing on. "Do you want to complete it Bonnie?"

Everyone left the room at this point; while it would affect all of them in some way, it was really Bonnie and Kol who it would affect the most. They would let them make their decision in private. It was nerve wracking though; Caroline was even doubting her own resolve of what Bonnie would chose. She wanted it to be her choice, but she didn't want to lose her friend. Klaus pulled her to him, silently and without her needing to say or do anything, sensing her need to be comforted.

_**The bond love; we can feel each other's feelings in times of distress.**_

_What if she doesn't do it Klaus? I don't want to lose her._

_**Would you rather have her as something she didn't want to be? Let her make this choice sweetheart; it's important that it's her choice.**_

_Oh why did he have to be right and smart and infuriatingly sexy?_

_**I heard that.**_

_Stop trying to distract me; this is a serious thing._

_**Which is why you need distracting or you'll drive yourself crazy.**_

Caroline shot him a look before noticing that everyone in the room was looking at them strangely. "What?"

"We've been asking you two questions and neither of you have answered." Elijah informed them sourly, sounding the most annoyed Caroline had ever heard in the time that she had known him.

"I guess speaking to each other telepathically has its downsides sweetheart." Kol rushing out of the bedroom and into the kitchen cut off further discussion on that topic. "Has she decided then Kol?"

He turned around, the happiest they had seen him since he had brought Bonnie home. "She's going to change. She wants to be with me."

_**See, you worried for nothing.**_

_Yeah, whatever. Do you always have to be right?_

_**I am the Alpha Male love.**_

_Seriously?_

_**You do know the definition of Alpha Male don't you love?**_

_Oh god, I said something that night that encouraged you, didn't I?_

_**It is accepted to mean good-looking with a great build as well as being in charge.**_

_Lovely, my self-conscious was saying what I refused to say out loud, and you knew exactly what I was saying._

_**Well, I must admit it was flattering, though I doubt that I'm that good looking.**_

"Are you kidding me? You're perfect." And then she realized she was talking out loud and everyone, including Bonnie, Jeremy, and April, was staring at her incredulously as she threw her hands over her face and groaned as Klaus laughed.

"Thank you sweetheart, but I think you've confused everyone." He said, still laughing, causing the confused glances on everyone's faces to deepen. Which only made Klaus laugh harder.

"You know what? I think I'm going to take a shower and relax. Possibly take a nap." She hugged Bonnie on the way to the bedroom. "I'm glad you made this choice Bon. Don't worry, we'll all help you keep in touch with your humanity."

Klaus noticed that she was pointedly ignoring him, and that worried him. _**Are you mad at me love?**_ She heard his laughter finally quiet; she wasn't angry at him, though, merely embarrassed that she had actually said that he was perfect out loud for everyone to hear and make fun of her for it later when they were no longer worried about Bonnie. It was true, though; he was infuriatingly perfect, and he deserved to know that.

_Why don't you come join me in the shower and find out?_ She sent him, throwing a coy glance over her shoulder toward him. After everything, she really just wanted _him. _She had needed something different the night before, but now she needed release. And what better way than with the man she loved.

"Yes, well if you all will excuse me, I have a call to make; it's important." Klaus said, getting up and following her quickly into their room.

She almost laughed aloud, it was comical how fast he had gone into action at her suggestion. _Subtle, Nik. Real subtle._

_**You just invited me into the shower with you love, I have no time for being subtle. Besides, you are the one that sent me that glance in front of them. I think they drew the conclusion before you even asked.**_

_Sometimes, you are such a man._

He found a way to silence her complaints though, for quite some time. Not that she really minded; he made sure of _that._

"Still think I'm perfect love?" He questioned, breaking contact with her lips, and all she knew in that moment was that she needed to feel his lips on hers.

"Umhm." Caroline found that she couldn't form a coherent sentence past that, she just knew that he was. Anything to get back the contact with him.

He seemed to sense what she wanted _of course he did, he knew exactly what he was doing to her, _but he continued to tease her, only brushing his lips slightly over hers before removing them once more. "Maybe I deserve you then. You're beautiful." Kiss. "Strong." Kiss. "Full of light." Kiss. "I enjoy you, all of you." Kiss. "You deserve nothing less than perfection."

**A/N: I hope I got across that Silas is sort of crazy (cause how could Tatia be alive a thousand years later without being a vampire if she was alive?), cause he is. Remember what I said about Tyler going crazy last chapter? It's sort of the same with Silas; every time his mind is ripped from his to someone else, it rips away his sanity. He's crazy and this will play a big part in latter chapters. And Bonnie being a vampire now will play a part in putting a kink in his plans. So everything is for a reason. And yay for brother bonding moments!**

**Until next time…**


	19. Chapter 18

**So, this is short; I had like no idea where I was going with this, it ended up being more of a filler chapter (much like tonight's episode). Sorry this took longer than usual; the one-second of the promo gave me the motivation needed to write this chapter though! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 18**

Silas was getting bored. He knew that it would be easier to let the group of vampires find the relics for him, but really, they had two of the three already; he was more than capable of finding the third on his own. Besides, he needed to get his Tatia away from their influence and the sooner the better. They would just hurt her as they always had. They had no right to be in her presence.

For a moment, as happened often when he possessed bodies, he had a moment of stark clarity, where his mind was not clouded by the madness that had consumed him since he had been buried alive. There was no way Tatia could be living, and if she were indeed alive, it would only be because she was the one thing he was trying to destroy. Why did the girl look like his Tatia, though? There was a spell, but was that even possible?

It was confusing, so very confusing. And just like that, he couldn't remember what he had just realized. He had to save Tatia, he would not rest until she was safe and he was in his own body so they could be together forever.

He would make his move soon.

Klaus was worried about Caroline; she had had to leave her hometown behind and her mother, she killed her friend and ex-boyfriend, and her best friend had been murdered, though she had come back a vampire that was still a traumatic experience, while trying to save her other best friend, who was now quite apparently in danger (thought that wasn't really new, now was it?). He could tell that she was trying to hide her pain from him, but she wasn't quite succeeding. "Caroline, love, talk to me." He pulled her away from the window she was looking out of in their room.

"About what Nik?" She almost pulled off a confused look, but he knew her by now and something was obviously wrong.

"Whatever it is that is bothering you. You've been blocking me from your mind. I thought that you trusted me, that you wanted me to know every part of you. I want to help you."

She gasped, a hand flying to her mouth as tears came to her eyes. "Oh, Nik! I trust you, I do! It's not that, it's just- you'll only tell me I'm being silly. I didn't want to bother you."

He pulled her to him once more so that he could hug her to his chest. "You could never be a bother. Whatever it is, if it is worrying you I want to know about it; I _need_ to know about it so I can help fix it."

"I'm worried about you getting hurt. Doesn't it seem so easy, you finding the relics? It shouldn't be that easy."

"See, I'm glad you told me. I had the same thoughts love, that this was not as difficult as it should be. I don't think that you're silly, you're worried about me, and even if I am immortal, it is flattering and encouraging to know that you would be upset if I were to get killed."

"Oh, you!" She pushed herself away from his chest only to smack his arm playfully. "Of course I would care! I love you."

"I know." He said with a smirk, recalling the night of the ball as he did so.

Her thoughts had apparently taken a similar path. "You think we could have another ball when this is all over? I'd like to end the night on a different note than last time."

He smirked, catching her blatant implication for where she hoped the night would end. "I'm sure that something can be arranged. It will certainly give Rebekah something to look forward to." He kissed her after that, unable to resist any longer (it was odd, he had resisted for so long before she admitted her feelings for him, but after that first kiss he had become addicted and couldn't hold himself back after that, always longing to feel the pressure of her lips on his, her tongue; he pushed those thoughts away quickly) only to pull away reluctantly. "I promised to take you to Rome and Tokyo, and I have every intention of doing that. That would be rather hard to do if I were to die and you were to join me as a result."

"Don't forget, you promised to take me to Disney World too." She said with a smirk, that he noted looked a lot like his own, knowing that he thought she had forgotten about that.

Klaus rolled his eyes playfully at her. "Really, love? I could take you anywhere in the world, and that's where you want to go?" Truthfully, he would do anything if it made her happy. The old him would have balked at the suggestion of someone even being able to try to convince him to go to someplace such as Disney World and live to talk about it, but this Klaus, the Klaus that was madly in love with Caroline Forbes, would do anything to see the smile light up her face and know that he was the reason that the smile was there.

She smiled and placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Yep, that's where I want to go."

Klaus let out a breath. "Well, if it will make you happy I'll try to suffer through it. If," He said holding up a finger to stop her happy dance, "you let me take you to a football match."

"I've been to football games Nik." She pointed out, thinking that she had caught him.

"Oh, not you're silly American football. What you would call soccer, in England."

She heaved a very dramatic sigh, earning a smile from him because he knew that though he had given in to her, he had also gotten his way. "Fine, fair's fair, I suppose. Even if I hate soccer."

"Alright love birds you have to come out of that room eventually." It was nice to hear Kol's voice lighthearted and teasing again, though they were both annoyed by the interruption; the past few days had been stressful for them all, but he was worried that Bonnie would kill herself eventually and the Kol they all knew (and loved) had all but disappeared. They had all been quite proud of her, though; she took to blood bags fine, and hadn't attacked a single human. Matt, Jeremy, and April were drinking vervaine just in case, but they all trusted her. It was merely precautionary in case anything was to happen; they all knew what stress, anger, or just hunger could do to a baby vampire. Being around the Originals helped in that respect; they had successfully restrained themselves for a thousand years, if anyone could help new vampires go through this stage properly and without killing people, it was them.

Klaus strode over to the door with a snarl and ripped it open. "What do you want Kol?"

Kol's smirk fell from his face replaced by anger and the clenching of both his jaw and fists. "We need to discuss what we're going to do about Silas."

Ten minuets later, they were all gathered in the living room once more. "What can we do, honestly? He seems sort of all powerful." Bonnie questioned from her spot.

"We need to beat him at his own game. We have to figure out what he wants, make him think he has it, and then rip it from him." Klaus said, letting his old planning and calculating nature show itself once more.

"Well, he uncompelled Tyler for a reason; not just because he knew us, but because Tyler killing Caroline would be most painful for Nik. There had to be- oh! Oh! Oh!" Rebekah's eyes lit with knowledge and she jumped up from her seat and clapped her hands in excitement.

"Rebekah, what?" Klaus questioned, worry and curiosity evident in his tone.

"Don't you see? He tried to kill Caroline. He was the father of Tatia's child. Mother is the reason for the death of Tatia. He thought Elena was Tatia." Rebekah said, as though everyone should have been able to reach that conclusion on their own.

"He's trying to get his revenge on us in the worst way he can." Klaus was up, placing a hole in the wall, and out the door before anyone else had a chance to process that.

No one spoke for a few long moments, before Caroline finally broke the shocked silence. "What-" She started moving towards the door only to be stopped by Rebekah.

"It's probably best to stay here Care. He's upset that someone would want to try to kill you for any reason, and now he knows that Silas won't stop until you are dead. He needs a minute to process what he's going to do."

"Bekah, is he going to leave me just to protect me?" She couldn't lose anyone else; she didn't even want to _think_ about losing anyone else. Especially not him. Never him.

"Shouldn't you be asking me that?" Caroline gasped when she heard his voice, spotting him in the doorway once more. "Walk with me?"

She nodded, getting up and following him out the door and into the elevator, neither of them speaking or making any move to touch each other until they were out of the hotel and on the street when he grabbed her hand. He hailed a taxi and instructed the driver to take them to Central Park. Once they were there, he led her to a private bench with no one around. Not looking at him, looking everywhere but him, she voiced her fears in the only way she knew how. "Are you going to break up with me Nik? Because if you are, just get it over with."

"Sweetheart." He hooked a finger under her chin and brought her face up to look at him. "I am far too selfish to let you go, even if I should. I was just upset that someone would want to take your light out of the world, that they'd want to take you from me. You who have done nothing to wrong him in any way. I was mad at the thought of losing you." He paused for a moment, head bowed, and when he spoke again she could hear the tears he was trying to hold back. "I should let you go. That someone would think to hurt you, it kills me sweetheart. I don't want you to be hurt because of me."

"Nik, I've been hurt a lot in the past year, by things I didn't even know existed. And I know that I would endure it all again to be with you. I know it's crazy, but it would hurt me more to not be with you than whatever Silas has up his sleeve. Besides, we're connected now, and even the stake in my heart didn't really hurt as much as it should have. We'll figure this out, and we'll beat him at his own game. Just don't let your fear of losing me destroy what we could have."

"I love you Caroline. This is so new to me; I never expected to let myself feel this way. If you were to die, because we really don't know how this whole 'connected' thing works, I don't know what I would do. You're probably safer with me than anywhere else, though. I'm not going to let you go, and I won't let anyone even try to take you from me." His voice had grown with resolve as he spoke, and her fear left her; underneath his hard exterior, he was a person who had never felt loved, and now that he had it, he couldn't let it go.

"Good. Let's kick some warlock ass." He chuckled at her wording as she pulled him off the bench and pulled his head down to hers, teasing him with her tongue on his lips before finally plunging it into his mouth. She pulled away long after, both of them breathless. "We will come out of this alive Nik. We're supposed to be together, and I want to spend every moment of eternity with you."

They returned to the hotel, her hand wrapped around his arm and pressed to his side (an obvious difference from when they had left the hotel), only to find that not only was their little group gone, which would not have been suspect, but that the entire suit was trashed. The note pinned to the wall with a knife revealed who had taken them.

_Catch us if you can, Niklaus. I look forward to meeting you after all these years._

_Meet us in Wurzburg if you ever want to see your siblings again._

_Silas_

"Where's Wurzburg? Why would he take them there?" Caroline spoke frantically after she read the note, not noticing Klaus leave the room.

"It's in Germany. Nine hundred witches were killed there in the sixteen hundreds. I would imagine he's trying to channel their power to get his body and the weapon that can kill us back. He took the sword and the chalice, and Connor is gone."

"Nik, what if he's the weapon. He's supposed to be all-powerful right? What if he's the one that can destroy us?"

"I wouldn't doubt it. I want you to stay here-"

"No. They are my friends, my _family_ too and I will help to rescue them. Besides, what if Connor is in the city expecting you to do just that."

"I hate it when you're right. Fine, you can come with me, but you will do exactly as I say once we get to Germany and not put yourself in harms way."

"I'll do my best." They hurried to their room and packed some basic essentials before heading to the airport. They had a family to save; they just hoped that they could put an end to Silas before it was too late.

**A/N: Again, sorry this is short! Next chapter will obviously be longer, and we'll finally see a showdown and then I can go back to fluff and rainbows cause I really don't like this conflict stuff. **


	20. Chapter 19

**Thanks for all your support. Any and all important notes will be at the bottom this time sweethearts.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or the Big Bang Theory quote (points to anyone who catches it).**

**Chapter 19**

The plane ride to Germany was stressed, neither Klaus nor Caroline saying anything. Caroline knew that he was trying to plan whatever it was that they were going to do to save their family, and Klaus needed to stay strong. He wasn't sure- after so long trying to make his sibling's lives safe and thinking that he had finally achieved that, it was hard to know that they had been taken. He should have had the daggers destroyed; he couldn't figure out why he had thought it would be a good idea to bring them with him to the hotel. Bad habit, maybe. It was his fault they were gone. It was always his fault. Caroline griping his hand brought him out of his reverie, and he swung his face around to glance questioningly at her. "What's wrong Nik? Aside from the obvious." She added quickly at his look.

He sighed heavily, and considered deflecting the question, or just not answering at all; but this was _Caroline_, and she deserved an answer from him, even if he was hesitant to open up and give her one. "It's my fault Caroline; it's my fault they were taken, my fault they were turned into vampires in the first place, my fault that they have been on the run for a thousand years. I have destroyed their lives."

This made sense; this she could deal with; she could help him move past this, she would help him move past this. "Nik, you have to stop blaming yourself for everything. Mikael chasing you all was not your fault. He was a terrible man, and you deserved better than that. And I know that you think Henrik's death was your fault-"

"It was my fault!" He yelled, interrupting her. "I knew better, but I had to go and take him with me. And now he's gone and we are left roaming the globe for eternity, never to join him in whatever afterlife there may be."

Stubborn, foolish man who had to believe every negative thing that had ever been told to him. _If you had suffered through a thousand years of what has been told to him, you would think that it was your fault as well._ But it wasn't his fault, and he needed to focus on saving them, not on his guilt when he had nothing to be guilty about in this situation. "Niklaus Mikaelson, you need to listen to me. You think it was just Henrik's death that caused your mother to turn you into vampires? I think she had been thinking about it for a while and was finally given a good reason to do it. And you found me; we would never have been together if you had died a thousand years ago, and I wouldn't give up getting to meet you for all the humanity in the world. Now, we are going to save your siblings and my friends and we are going to spend eternity together, and we're going to be happy. And you are going to stop trying to blame yourself for everything, because Nik, you were just a child back then. You can save these siblings though; I know that losing people hurts, but you have to keep living for the people that are alive."

He stared at her in shock, mouth slightly agape, because no one, _not a single person_, had ever told him that it wasn't his fault. And this girl, this beautiful, beautiful girl didn't blame him for one of the things that he regretted most; for the action that had brought about everything. He crushed his lips to hers quickly. "Would that I could see myself the way you see me."

"Yeah, well the feelings mutual. So what's the plan?"

"Well, we need to go to the site of the burnings, they took place outside The Church of our Lady; Silas is probably going to try and channel the power to preform whatever spell he's trying to do, but he'll have to wait until the full moon. That isn't until after Christmas. I think we should make our move before then; strike before he even gets close to what he wants. Whatever he wants to do is bound to be dangerous, and I'd like to leave this with as few casualties on our side as possible." Caroline knew that he was referring to hybrid deaths, who were on a separate, less luxurious airplane, he wouldn't want to lose anyone in their little group, even if he was pointedly trying to skirt the subject. "We should take out his allies first, get him to the point where he has no one to help him. WE should probably take a hostage to find out where he's keeping them."

"Alright, and what's my role in all of this?" She would not sit idly by while her friends and her boyfriend were in danger; she had to help.

"You are going to stay as far away from the fight as you can, I won't have you getting hurt." Klaus said, rather matter-of-factly, which annoyed Caroline quite a bit.

She tried to put on her best pleading voice. "Nik-"

"No, Caroline. I won't let him get close to you. He overtook my siblings, I don't even want to consider what he could do to you."

"I'll have you know I make a very good distraction, and he hasn't seen me yet." _Come on Caroline; reason with him, you know you can do it._

"May I remind you that Hayley is with him, and she's seen you well enough to describe what you look like and point you out if she sees you. Not to mention that Tyler was with him. And I know all about your brand of distraction sweetheart, and you will not be giving that treatment to any other man."

"Nik I will not sit by and wonder if you are all going to come back to me alive. I want to help."

"By putting your life in danger? You are better than a distraction Caroline. I care about all of them, I really do, but if Silas were to get you that would be worse than the people he has now. I would give my life up for you. I need you safe so that I am not distracted from saving everyone else. I will come back to you sweetheart, but I need you to trust me- why are you crying?"

She wiped the slow trail of tears that had started to flow down her cheeks. "It's just, I felt useful when I got turned into a vampire, I could do things and people needed me. But it was always to be a distraction and save other people at the expense of my life. And I wondered if that was all that I was really good for. You see me as more than that, though."

"Oh, sweetheart of course I do. You'll be helping me by keeping yourself safe, trust me when I tell you that."

"I wish I could do more." She confessed, slumping down in her seat.

He thought for a moment, knowing that she might put herself in danger just to feel a part of the rescue, and finally an idea struck; they could use more allies. "Well, there might be something."

Caroline walked hurriedly down the street to the café she had been told to meet him in, hardly noticing the beautiful scenery she would have otherwise been consumed by had this not been a life and death situation. _I hope this works. _It was a good idea, she had to admit, but she wasn't sure if he would agree; he would be angry, not just at her, but at Klaus as well. She saw him approaching soon after her arrival, coifed hair and all. He nodded his head at her as he sat down. "Caroline."

"Stefan; thanks for coming." It was weird to see him after all what seemed like a lifetime; so much had happened since the last time she had seen him. And he had hurt her so much, not physically, but emotionally and mentally. It was almost worse; he was supposed to be her friend and he had almost destroyed her life. She could let bygones be bygones though if he could extend her the same curtsey.

"I won't help you Caroline." He was quick to say before she could even try to say anything else. "Silas is going to destroy the originals once and for all; Elena doesn't need their toxic presence in her life, and neither do you."

"Stefan, think. Do you really think he just wants the originals gone? No, he wants us all dead. He sent Tyler to kill me, he kidnapped everyone but Nik and I, and he does not want any of us alive. He thinks that we are all monsters, incapable of feeling or changing. We are; you should know that better than anyone else in the world."

"How do you-"

Caroline interrupted him, knowing she had struck a chord and explained what they knew about Silas as quickly as she could. He sighed heavily when she was done. "I'll help you guys; I'm sure I can convince Damon to as well. Hayley is pretty gung ho about following Silas to the death." Stefan paused for a moment. "Elena is happy with Elijah?"

"Yeah, she really is." His face fell at her words, and she felt bad for her old friend. "I'm sorry Stefan; I know you love her, but Elijah just might be the best thing that has ever happened to her."

Stefan called Damon after that, explaining the situation and how they had been duped by Silas (this kept happening really every time they planned to kill Klaus; they needed to lower their level of trust, or maybe they just needed to stop trying to kill Klaus) and Caroline called Klaus to let him know that Stefan, and Damon once he agreed, were on their side. They met up a distance from the church, Caroline and Stefan approaching together to find Klaus with Damon's neck firm in his grasp. "Don't think that you're forgiven for what you did to Caroline. I would kill you if I had my way."

Caroline sped over fixing Klaus with what she hoped was an intimidating glare. "You guys! We don't have time for your macho fight. We have to focus."

Damon grimaced as Klaus released his hold on his neck and stuck his hand out to him. "As sick as it makes me to say it, I think Blondie may be right. Temporary truce, at least until everybody is safe and sound?"

Klaus ignored the proffered hand continuing to stare Damon down instead. "Until your usefulness runs out. Then I won't hesitate to rip out your pathetic excuse for a heart." It was weird, Caroline mused, after so long of only hearing his 'nice' voice for him to go back to his 'if you make one wrong move I will murder you with a smile on my face' voice. And it was weird that she didn't even flinch at his threats; he needed to let out some of his anger, anyway, and if this was the way that was achieved than so be it. "Do you know where Silas is holding them?"

"We didn't know he took them. He doesn't really tell us anything." Stefan said, trying his best to diffuse the obvious tension.

Klaus sneered at the brothers, obviously enjoying that they were both nervous around him. "And you followed him blindly into battle."

"Nik, stop it. This isn't helping. We need to think; you said the burnings took place outside the church and that's where he's most likely to preform the spell. He'd want to stay close to that location; we should start with the church and move out from there."

Klaus made a few calls to his hybrids, instructing them to follow Caroline's idea, but to be very careful to appear as tourists so as to not attract undo attention. The four of them then moved to the city to find a hotel, or at least a house that they could stay in. They found a nice hotel to hole up in, one with a large suite, as they waited, and waited, and waited for any bit of news what so ever. Finally, after much nail-biting and tense silences later, Caroline got an idea. "Nik! Would the hybrids be able to smell them better if they changed into wolf form?"

She quite suddenly found herself being kissed soundly. "You clever girl! So much more than a pretty face indeed! How did I not think of that? I'll change, and I will find them. Stefan, Damon, watch over Caroline please." Without waiting for a reply, he sped from the room.

Klaus got a safe distance from the hotel before stripping off his clothing and letting the change take over, feeling the pain of his bones cracking. Wolf him was very confused. He hadn't changed for a while, which had honestly been a mistake; his body and his mind needed the change.

Anyway, wolf him couldn't quite focus on one thing for several moments. Part of that was because he had gained a mate, which was an exciting experience all in all for any wolf, and he wanted to 'meet' her or at the very least see her and make sure that she was safe and alright. Wolf him was very unhappy that she was alone with two other males. He wanted to rip them apart, eat their flesh, drink their blood… and then he remembered why he had changed in the first place. Siblings, friends, he had to save them. Then he was running, smelling the air for their scent, becoming disheartened when he got nothing; not even a single trace of any of them. He stopped dejectedly, but oh there it was! The wind had changed and there it was. And then he was running again, trying to hold in the howls that wanted to break free. He was not hunting, not hunting; he was saving people. He had to be quiet so that he wouldn't be caught so that they could be saved. They were a part of his pack and he had to make them safe again.

Caroline was awoken from her spot in the armchair by scratching on the door. _Who in the hell would be scratching at my hotel door? Waking me up in the middle of the night-_ she had pulled the door open amidst her inner grumblings; only to be pushed down to the floor by _was that a wolf!? _Wait… "Nik?" That earned her a lick to her face so she figured that it was; what other wolf would come to a hotel in the middle of the night, and what other werewolf would merely lick her face instead of ripping into her flesh? She pushed him off of her though because his weight was a little suffocating, he was a really big wolf, taking him in. He was beautiful, even like this, a pure white coat, accompanied by his strikingly green gaze that confirmed that this wolf was indeed Klaus.

"Did you find them?" He wagged his tail at her in response, so she decided that was another yes. "Well, why haven't you turned back yet then?" In response to that, he merely turned and walked out the door turning his head to stare at her when he realized she wasn't following him. With a role of her eyes she pushed herself off the floor and followed him outside, hoping that no one was awake to notice the _freaking wolf strolling through the hotel and the streets! _Once they had gotten to the outskirts of the city, not an incredible feat, they ran at supernatural speed, and Caroline knew that he was holding back, at least a little bit because there was no way she would be as fast as he was.

He led her to a log cabin that was in the middle of the forest; no one would have ever thought to look here; the scent of her friends in the air was unmistakable, though. They were in this house. She saw him tense visibly out of the corner of her eye, and she found herself being dragged back behind the tree line by her shirt. All was revealed a moment latter when she saw who she assumed to be Silas in professor Shane's body. "I thought you said you smelled a wolf Hayley?"

"I did, but it's gone now. Come on, we should figure out the rest of the spell."

Caroline didn't start breathing again until the door of the cabin was closed and both Silas and Hayley were back inside. Klaus pulled on her shirt again, and she got the hint; they needed to get out of there. It was far too close of a call for comfort. They raced away back to the hotel and he followed her upstairs, still in wolf form. "Are you ever planning on changing back?" She questioned as she opened the room door; he merely pushed her into the room with his head.

"Ah, there you are Blondie- is that a wolf!?"

"Calm down Damon. It's Nik. He found them, they're in a cabin in the woods outside of the city, but Silas and Hayley are there right now."

"We'll have to keep checking to see when they're not there then. We should all go to bed, we'll need our rest." Stefan said as he entered the kitchenette.

Caroline headed to her and Klaus' bedroom and he trotted behind her. She closed the door and flopped onto the bed, only for him to join her instead of changing back as she assumed he would do. "You know, I'd really like to talk to you."

He ignored her, snuggling into her. She had to admit that this was nice though, and she ran her fingers through his soft fur. The warmth of his body and the stress of the past couple of days was making her very sleepy. She managed to drowsily murmur, "You better be in your human form when I wake up."

She awoke to hard muscle under her fingers and something, that she was pretty sure was her hair, was tickling her nose. "Come on Caroline, time to get up."

"What time is it?" She grumbled, swatting away the piece of hair Klaus was trying to use to get her to wake up.

He laughed at her efforts and continued to tickle her. "It's eight in the morning."

"That's like still nighttime."

"Come on, we have a plan and we're wasting daylight." Ah, then she remembered. Sleep had managed to make her forgot what had been going on and she shot up out of bed.

"Coffee?"

"In the kitchen love." Klaus informed her as he trailed after her.

"Why didn't you change back last night?" She asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee, caffeine was definitely needed if rescuing was going to be done (even if she wouldn't actually be doing anything to help).

He coughed and turned his head away from her in obvious embarrassment. "My wolf self wanted to meet you."

"Well, I'm flattered. You're a very sweet wolf."

"Klaus, sweet? Coffee gone to your head Blondie?" Damon sauntered into the kitchen with those words, Stefan right behind him as they both got their own cups.

"Careful Damon. I would like nothing more than to rip you to pieces and you're just adding fuel to the proverbial fire."

"See? Not sweet. So, did you fill Blondie in on the plan, or shall I?" _Oh Damon, you're going to get yourself killed one day, and I can't say that I won't gain some sick sense of satisfaction from that._

"I sent hybrids to watch the house and inform us if Silas and Hayley leave. We're mostly worried about Silas though at this point though, so we'll take Hayley down if she remains there. Once he leaves, we'll swoop in and save everyone."

"Oh, does that mean I get to participate?"

"We figured that with your luck it's actually safer to be there than to stay here." Caroline slapped Stefan's chest for that one as Klaus looked on in mild amusement.

"So basically we're stuck here waiting for a phone call."

"Basically." The three men answered at the same time, causing Caroline to spit out the coffee she had drunk and burst out laughing. This was going to be an interesting day. She just hoped that the four of them could survive long enough to actually do any saving.

Exactly thirty-six hours, forty-five minuets, and ten seconds later, Klaus' phone finally rang (and yes, they were _all _counting). "All right, thank you Jack. Call again if he come back." He hung up the phone and faced them. "Silas is gone, which means it's time for us to move in. We should expect traps; Hayley smelled me the other night, and either she's really bad at the whole werewolf scent thing, or they both knew that Caroline and I were out there and they were trying to lure us into a trap; besides that, we still don't know where Connor is."

They ran out of the apartment and flashed to the cabin; Caroline had been right, Klaus had been holding back as a wolf. He was there long before the three of them, and when they got to the cabin, the door was already knocked in and Hayley's decapitated body was lying on the front porch. They entered the house warily; if there were any hidden traps, they wouldn't hurt Klaus, but they could kill the rest of them. "Stay up here Blondie and keep a look put for Silas. We'll go help Klaus with getting everybody out of here."

Caroline rolled her eyes and fought the impulse to rush in and make sure that her friends were all right. She would stay up her, if only because Damon was actually right; someone needed to keep watch. "Caroline!"

She turned quickly at the sound of her name. "Bonnie! Elena! Rebekah!" They propelled themselves into a group hug as everyone else cam from the basement. "Are you guys all right?"

"A little worse for wear, but extremely glad you guys came to save us." Elena answered, just glad to be semi-safe once more and that they were all together once more. "This Silas dude is seriously crazy."

"Hey, seriously is my phrase."

"As much as I'm enjoying our little reunion, don't you think it would be wise to move it elsewhere?" Kol spoke up, coming to claim Bonnie as Klaus finally emerged, sword, chalice, and shield, which apparently Silas had found, all in hand.

"Kol's right. We should get out of here before Silas returns."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that. You think that I wouldn't know that you had come into my house, killed my werewolf, and taken my hostages?"

_Oh, he's definitely crazy; and does he not realize the irony of saying that we are taking his hostages?_

"I've wanted to meet you for a very long time Niklaus. I wondered why Tatia would go around with both you and your brother. What is so special about them Tatia? Hmmm?" His gaze had flown to Elena at that as Elijah stepped in front of her protectively.

"I. Am. Not. Tatia." Elena ground out, clearly annoyed. Caroline wondered if this had been going on the whole time that they had been here.

"I wish you would stop lying to me my dear. I won't let them hurt you if you admit the truth. I'm going to kill them all, and laugh as I do it. For you, for what they did to you. And for thinking to take you from me." He approached the group, but Klaus, Elijah, and Kol formed quite the impenetrable wall.

"You think you can stop me? I have all the power in the world. If you kill this body, I'll just find another one."

"Oh, see that's where you're wrong. You made the mistake of bringing your body here. The body that I just destroyed." _Oh, thank god for devilish, conniving Klaus. He might be an evil genius when he's like this, but he damn well gets the job done._

"You did WHAT? How dare you, I will kill everyone in this room and leave you to roam the earth alone-"

Caroline had seriously had enough. This crazy person had tried to get her ex-boyfriend to kill her, kidnapped her family, and threatened to hurt her boyfriend. So, she did what any vampire in her situation, and elevated temper if she were being completely honest, would do. She flashed over to the man they were all afraid of and snapped his neck. "Well that was easy."

She found herself crushed to Klaus' chest. "What the bloody hell were you thinking?"

"He was really annoying and I caught him off guard." She said matter-of-factly, as though this should of course be perfectly acceptable when Klaus had almost had a heart attack at seeing her by Silas (quite a feat considering he was dead).

"This is exactly why I didn't want you tagging along for this. I knew you would place yourself in harm's way." They glared at each other, neither wanting to back down, but knowing that the other was at least a little bit right.

"We should probably burn the body in case some weird voodoo magic happens." Bonnie's voice broke their reverie.

"Oh, we could make s'mores!" That comment was met by everyone, save the two lovers yelling "Kol!"

Caroline ignored the voices in the background; the one big threat, and it was over, it was finally, finally over. "Can we go home Nik?"

"Of course love."

It was odd; she spent the majority of her life hating school and wanting to get out of it, but she found that she wanted nothing more than to go to class and be a normal teenager again. At least for a little while longer.

"I will not kiss you Stefan just because everyone else in this damn room is!"

"God Damon, do you have to ruin every moment?" Caroline asked exasperation clear in her tone as she pulled away from Klaus' lips.

"Yep. That's my mo. It's what I do." That earned an eye roll from everyone present except Kol.

"Annoying nuisance is my position, and you can't have it."

"Relax Kol, I'm sure Daman and Stefan don't want to deal with Niklaus' rage."

"Yeah, Elijah's right. I would definitely enjoy breaking both of your necks."

"Let's get out of this house before anyone else dies, alright?" Okay, they were rude bastards, but they were both still old friends and Caroline didn't want them dead.

"Here, here!"

"I concur!"

"Dinner is in order I believe."

They were on a flight back to good old Mystic Falls the next day. Yes, even Damon and Stefan, though they promised to leave them alone and not make any more plots to kill the originals.

Oh to see home again; to see her _mother _again!

She didn't want to stay in Mystic Falls for the rest of eternity, not by a long shot, but the fact remained that it was her childhood home, and she wanted to appreciate it as long as she could. Everyone else was planning on leaving after saying some actual goodbyes and after Christmas, of course; they loved each other after everything they had been through, but they all needed some time on their own to be in their own relationships; they had forever to see each other after all but they didn't need to be with each other every second of every day as they had been. After several weeks living together and being together for nearly every minute, the time apart would do them good. And Caroline was really the only one with any family left in Mystic Falls to keep her there for the interim.

They would always be a family though. Always and forever.

**A/N: I apologize for any general crazy in this chapter; I drank like ten cups of coffee and I don't know what happened. Yay Silas is dead! So it will be mostly Klaroline from her on out.**

**Until next time…**


	21. Chapter 20

**So very, very sorry this took so much longer than normal to get out! If I had written this a few days ago, though, it would have been an epilogue and it's not quite time for that yet. Thank you for all your lovely reviews and of course for reading! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 20**

Home sweet home. Caroline never thought she would miss Mystic Falls, had wanted to leave when her parents got divorced if her mother hadn't won custody of her, but it was so good to be home. She liked traveling, aside from the attempts on her life and her friend's lives, but there was something comforting about knowing she had a place to return to. And she felt that comfort the moment that they had driven into the little town and she had seen all the familiar sights. In that moment she knew that no matter how far or how long she traveled outside of Mystic Falls, she would always return to it eventually. Maybe not for long, but she would return.

Klaus and Caroline collapsed into bed that night. Well, Caroline collapsed while Klaus pretended that he wasn't just as exhausted as she was. Everyone else, including Damon and Stefan, stayed at the mansion that night. All of them were too tired to go anywhere else, and they still had things that needed to be discussed.

Klaus had dropped her off at her mother's house the day after they got back sensing that they needed some mother-daughter time alone after the weeks she had spent wondering if she would ever see Liz again; she was grateful to him for understanding her unspoken desire, and for not pressing the issue and wanting to stay with her. He had barely left her side since they had gotten on the plane in Germany, and she could tell that it was his old fear that as soon as something good happened it would eventually turn bad; she also knew that as proud as he was of her, seeing her shoot forward and kill Shane had scared him.

She had a suspicion that he wasn't that far from her house, though; their connection was giving that much away, though their ability to shield their thoughts had gotten better and she could not tell the exact distance, but she could feel his presence nearby. She pushed her thoughts out to him even as Liz opened the door. _Nik, go do something; I'm not sure how long I'll be. I'll call for you if I need you. _"Mom!"

_**Be safe, love; do not hesitate to call me.**_

_I won't, Nik. Don't worry too much._

_**I can't help it with you. I love you.**_

_I love you too._ She cut their connection off then, wanting to focus on her mother.

"Caroline! I'm so glad you're home safe." Her mother pulled her into her arms, and though they had never been like this, the feeling was so welcome. "I was worried about you so much."

She followed her mother inside. "I'm fine, we got out of there alive." And then Caroline explained everything that had happened; going to New York, Tyler attacking her and her killing him, Bonnie getting turned, everyone getting kidnapped, the rescue mission to Germany.

"What happened with Silas?"

"Well, you knew that he was in Shane's body. I killed him after Nik burned Silas' body." And with those words, the guilt finally crashed over her; she had killed Tyler and Shane. She had killed people; people who had lives and people who loved them. She put her head in her hands, sick with herself. "What have I done?" She felt her mother's arms go around her shoulders and pull her to her.

"Caroline sometimes in life we do things that might be considered bad, but we do them for the right reasons. Tyler and Shane, Silas, weren't in the right frame of mind and they would have killed you and the people you loved given the chance. You are not a human, as much as I regret it, and you can't operate by human rules. Every moment your survival is at risk, and you need to fight to survive. You did not kill them in cold blood; Tyler could have seriously hurt people and Shane was possessed."

Liz's statements meant a lot to Caroline especially because of where they were coming from; where was the woman who had said that Caroline wasn't her daughter anymore because she was a vampire? "Thanks mom, I needed to hear that. I just never thought my life would be like this."

"You are the most human vampire I know sweetheart, and you bring out the human in the rest of them. Never forget that."

They talked for the rest of the day before she called Klaus to come and pick her up; it was getting late and Liz had to work the next day early, and, though she really didn't want to admit it, she found that she was feeling nervous being away from him for this long. _What if something happened? _

Liz stopped her before she walked out the door when Klaus pulled into the driveway. "Lunch on Saturday? And I expect you to go back to school."

"Yeah, I'll meet you at the Grill. I'll go to the office and find out about making the work I missed up. I have every intention of trying my best to graduate." She gave her mom another long hug and walked outside to the waiting car and hopped in, leaning over the center console to place a kiss on Klaus' waiting lips. "How was your day sweetheart?"

"Good; I missed her a lot more than I realized. I know that she's not going to be here forever, but I want to get as much time with her as I possibly can, you know?"

"I'm glad." He backed the car out of the driveway, both of them waving to Liz. "Word of warning, the Salvatores invited themselves to the house shorty before I left for you. I'm not sure if they'll still be there or not."

"What did they want? I thought they were leaving town again."

"They wanted to talk about what we were planning on doing about Connor, since we have yet to find him. We all decided we had been rather quick to decide to go our separate ways; my siblings will be staying until after graduation and they as well as Stefan and Damon will stay until Connor is no longer a threat to all of our safety."

The Salvatores weren't there when they arrived, which was probably a very good thing for their safety. Kol informed Klaus and Caroline that the brothers planned on helping to find Connor in exchange for forgiveness of their past transgressions. Klaus scoffed at that suggestion, he would never forgive them for hurting his Caroline, but a glare from her had him saying that he would consider it depending on how much work they actually did. _**I will consider it for you. You owe me later, though. And I will collect.**_

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she turned a delicious shade of red. Her answer, though, did not disappoint. _Oh I expect you to._

They bid everyone goodnight shortly after, the others packing up their stuff and heading to their respective homes, eager to have some actual alone time for the first time in weeks. Though all any of them did was collapse into bed, much like the night before when they had arrived home, still exhausted from everything that had happened.

Caroline woke a few hours later; she hadn't fed in a while, and she could feel the 'kill innocent people urges' surfacing. She slipped out of Klaus' arms and quietly padded across the room and down the stairs to the kitchen, pulling a blood bag out of the fridge and taking a long drag from it. "Sweetheart, I'm so disappointed in you."

She dropped the bag to the floor causing blood to spatter the floor, whirling around. "Daddy?"

Klaus woke in a panic; he could sense Caroline's confusion and terror, and his mind immediately thought the worse; he had many enemies, and she was vulnerable for all they knew. Where was she? He couldn't catch any of her thoughts, even when he tried to push his out to hers. Something was blocking him, and he didn't think that it was her doing the blocking. Something else was at work here.

"Nik!" Kitchen, she was definitely in the kitchen. He flashed there, taking in her horrified features, preparing himself to rip apart whoever had caused this reaction in her, but she was the only one in the kitchen. He rushed to her side none-the-less and enveloped her in his embrace. "Daddy I'm sorry!"

'_**Daddy'? Why would she be seeing her father? **_"Caroline, what's going on?"

"No, no, I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to!" Tears started slowly streaming down her face, and he could feel the panic rising in his chest.

Klaus grabbed her face in his hands and forced her to look at him, removing her concentration on whatever she was seeing, as he thumbs wiped her tears away. "Caroline, what's wrong?"

She grabbed his shirt, trying to anchor herself to some semblance of reality; as soon as she had seen Klaus she knew that her father wasn't really there "I can see my dad! Why can I see him?"

His mind raced with all the possible answers, but one stood out. "Is he talking to you Caroline?"

"Yes, he told me he was disappointed in me and that I should just stake myself." He crushed her tighter to him at that, knowing what it felt like to not have your father's approval and wanting to destroy the apparition making her feel that way; hating that someone, something really, was trying to take her from him. He felt helpless in this situation, and that was not a feeling that he relished; he had been wrong all those centuries ago. Love had made him stronger, made him a better person; this feeling, though? That the one he loved was in pain and he could do nothing to stop it? It was enough to bring him to the breaking point.

"You didn't kill a hunter, I don't understand why you'd be seeing him. It's not real though my love. We'll get through this okay?" He flashed them back to their room; if killing a hunter caused this, he wasn't willing to take any chances with her life, and his room was the safest place for her to be then. He whipped out his cell phone, still holding her to him, her face buried in his chest, and dialed a number. "Eleanor, I need you to find out all you can about Silas the immortal and any bad consequences of killing him. And you had better do it fast. I'll be there in twenty minutes." It was probably best not to let too many people know that they had killed Silas at this point; he wasn't entirely certain how the witch community would respond to that.

He carried her back to the bed and sat her down on the edge. "Caroline, I think I have an idea of what is going on. I need you to stay here, but I know the effects of the hallucinations. I know that you don't like it, but would you be alright with me compelling you to go to sleep until I come back so you can't hurt yourself?"

"Yeah, do it; I trust you Nik. I just want to get his voice out of my head."

His heart soared that she trusted him enough, especially after her ordeal with Damon as a human, but he could think more on that later. "I'll fix it sweetheart, I promise. This will be the first and last time I ever compel you." He stared into her eyes, pupils dilating. "Go to sleep, and stay asleep until I come back." She collapsed in his arms almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, and he laid her tenderly on the bed, pulling the covers over her body. He quickly planted a dream in her head; the visions had plagued him even in his sleep, and though he wasn't sure if the hallucinations would be able to get through that, he hoped that they wouldn't be able to.

He pulled his phone out again as he ran to the garage. "Kol, we have a problem, I need you to come over here." He quickly explained the situation even as he got in his car and sped toward the witch's house; he was relieved knowing someone would be there ensuring Caroline did not end her own life while he tried to figure out what the hell was going on. "Can you call everyone else, I'm at the witch's house?"

He got out of the car when he arrived and hung up the phone, barely restraining himself from ripping the witch's door from its hinges. "It trust you have some information for me Eleanor?" He spoke without preamble; he had no time for pleasantries.

She met his fearful stare head on. "Of course Klaus. Silas was a very powerful warlock; he was able to create the five hunters from his grave. I know you have had run-ins with them previously, so I'll spare you those details. It seems that he was able to take parts of his soul and transfer them to the five, and every time one of them is killed that piece has to find a new vessel, thus the hallucinations. The same would occur if you were to manage to kill Silas, but his body is hidden, buried."

That was what he had feared; he had never wanted Caroline to go through what he had to go through, and right now he really just wanted to go home to her and help her get through whatever horrors she was experiencing. "If someone was to kill the body he was possessing?"

If the witch was shocked she didn't reveal it; it was part of the reason he had come to Eleanor. She didn't necessarily let rules run her life. "The effects would take longer to sink in; his soul would search for his body first before returning to the vampire that killed him to torment them; it was the spell Silas made. Now, the Shane you asked me about was nothing special. A witch enthusiast to be sure, but no powers of his own."

That was enough to make him breath a sigh of relief; at least she hadn't killed a hunter and Silas; he shuddered to remember his time being tormented by all of the original five. "How do I fix it if someone has the hallucinations?" He was surprised by how calm he kept his voice, as if this were a purely hypothetical situation when it was really happening.

"You would have to find a potential hunter and they need to kill a vampire."

"How do I ensure that the hunter doesn't turn on me if this were to happen?"

"Have a human, a werewolf, or a witch kill the hunter. They shouldn't experience the hallucinations."

Well, that could be worked out fairly easily he supposed. The important part then was, "And how do I find a potential?"

"Potentials can see the tattoo markings that hunters have. They are invisible to all but potentials and hunters now. Potentials have tattoos on their hands that are invisible even to them until they make their first kill."

He sensed that was all he was going to get out of her, and he figured that was enough information to go on; he needed to get back to Caroline now. "Thank you Eleanor. You will not breath a word of this to anyone." He compelled her to not reveal the information; he had never trusted witches after the whole ordeal with his mother and he wasn't about to start now.

He called Elijah once he was back on the road. "Elijah, did Kol fill in you in?"

"Yes, brother he did."

"Good, I need you to find a witch and take Jeremy; you need to locate potential hunters that aren't him. He'll be able to tell if they can see a hunter's tattoo; you should find Connor first."

"You don't want Jeremy to become a hunter?" He could hear the shock in his brother's voice, but as much as he wanted to make it better for Caroline, he couldn't sacrifice his brother's happiness.

"I highly doubt you want to have to kill your girlfriend's brother. I'll try to keep Caroline safe until you find a potential."

"All right Niklaus. Jeremy and I will set out immediately."

He hung up and by this time he was back at the mansion. Kol came out to meet him as he got out of the car. "She's still out cold brother."

He put a hand on his brother's shoulder, silently communicating his thanks. "Alright, thank you Kol. I'll see you later."

Kol nodded his head. "Bye Nik; let us know if there's any improvement, or if there's anything else that any of us can do."

Klaus rushed back upstairs; he trusted Kol, but he would feel better once Caroline was safe in his arms and he could see for himself. Ah, there she was; her furrowed brow and the little whimpers coming from her let him know that all was not right. "Caroline, love. Wake up."

She came awake slowly, her gaze scanning the room, and he wondered what demons she was seeing, before she focused on his face and he saw the hesitance in her expression. "Nik?"

He reached a hand up to cup her face. "It's me sweetheart. I'm real."

She leaned into his touch. "It's hard to tell Nik; they look _so _real."

Klaus took note of the _they_. He had hoped that she would only be seeing her father, as horrible as that was; she didn't need multiple apparitions telling her that she would be better off dead. "They? Who else are you seeing?"

She breathed out, trying to calm her racing heart. "My dad, Katherine, Tyler, Shane, and I think Silas."

"All right love. Listen to me; I am real. I will let you know if anyone else comes in through that door I will tell you. No one else is real love." He kissed her softly, pulling away to continue comforting her, but she crashed her lips back onto his. He pulled away again after a moment. "What-"

"I can't hear them when I'm kissing you. I can't even form a coherent thought." That was all the encouragement it took to have him pressing his lips to hers once more. It certainly wasn't a perfect solution, but he would take it for now. And he was helping her, so he didn't feel as useless as he had before.

Caroline was calm for the first time since this all had started. She had always enjoyed kissing him, but that he could push the negative thoughts out was… awe-inspiring. She had never believed she would have a love like this, and here it was.

Her dreams had been… less than peaceful. She saw the dream that Klaus had tried to give her, but the voices tried to push themselves in past it, and she couldn't ignore them no matter how much she tried; all her old insecurities bubbled up to the surface, and the things they said were made worse because she had once believed them to be true.

When she had woken up and seen Klaus, she had thought that he was another hallucination. And that would be the worst than all the other ones because it was _Klaus_ and she could not stand for him, even a hallucination version of him, to want her to kill herself. There was only so much she could take; she had already heard it from her father and Tyler, and quite frankly she didn't care what Shane or Silas thought of her. But she cared about what Klaus thought; if he had appeared in hallucinatory form and told her that she was a monster, that no one would love her, that she was expendable, and that she should just end it all, she wouldn't have hesitated a moment.

She pulled away from his lips, breathless, as he continued trailing kisses down the expanse of her throat. "How did you get rid of them?"

He barely lifted his lips from her skin when he replied, which made her extremely relieved. "I didn't, they just went away one day. The witch I spoke to earlier said that a potential hunter has to kill a vampire and become a hunter for the hallucinations to go away." He explained what Eleanor had told him, giving her kisses between his words. "We're going to figure this out Caroline, don't worry."

"I know, I trust you."

As the days passed by, they got more and more nervous. Jeremy and Elijah were having a hard time finding a hunter, though they had managed to capture Connor. Klaus couldn't constantly be kissing Caroline (they had tried, though), and they had to stop her from staking herself or pulling off her daylight ring more than once. Far too often for Klaus' comfort, in all honesty; at least they were always able to catch her and stop her.

She was in the kitchen two weeks after the hallucinations had started, fiddling with her ring, Klaus staring her down ready to leap at the first sign of her pulling it off, and Tyler telling her that _she _was the worst monster in the world and that she should just end it before she killed any more people with families that loved them while her father told her how big of a disappointment she had turned out to be, Shane and Silas smirking cruelly in the corner of her vision, when suddenly it stopped just as Klaus' phone rang.

"Elijah? You found a hunter? Thank God. Thank you brother. I'll see you when you get back." He hung up the phone and gathered Caroline in his arms. "Are you all right sweetheart?"

"Yes, it's so good to not have to hear them anymore. And you know, the suicidal thoughts were a bit of a downer."

"I can relate." He led her out of the kitchen and to the living room where everyone else was stationed. They had been trying to get her to eat, but she wouldn't feed on the blood (Klaus had resorted to filling his own mouth with blood and forcing it into her mouth). "The hallucinations are gone, Jeremy and Elijah finally found a hunter somewhere in Washington. They're on their way home, they'll be here in the next couple of days."

"When did you guys put up Christmas decorations?"

"Well, we were really bored in between your suicide attempts, so we figured…"

"Shut up Kol!" Bonnie yelled at her boyfriend, flashing her fangs threateningly at him. "It's not a joke."

"I know darling, I just missed teasing Caroline."

"It's fine Bonnie, all that matters is that I am here and I'm alive, and I will never be going through that ever again."

And thus concluded another normal week in the lives of the vampires of Mystic Falls.

**A/N: So, let me again apologize for taking so incredibly long to write this! I hope you enjoyed the chapter; I wanted there to be more of a consequence for killing Shane!Silas than what was explored last chapter. Let me know what you think!**

**I should have the next chapter up in the next few days.**

**Until next time…**


	22. Chapter 21

**So, I'm a little late, but here's the Christmas chapter as promised (though I can't remember if I actually promised it)! Anyway, Merry Christmas!**

**WARNING: Major tomfoolery cause this is my favorite time of year and I'm just exceedingly happy right now**

**Not really sure if this can be classified as a chapter per say, but oh well. It's mostly a bonus Christmas short because I've been taking longer to update.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 21~ Or A Very Original Christmas in Which Damon Interrupts with Santa Klaus and jolly old St. Niklaus jokes ending in the inevitable threat on his life**

Caroline felt like a little kid again. You know all those Christmas movies with the huge mansions and the perfect Christmas decorations? That was what the mansion had been transformed into. She didn't ask how Klaus had done it; she didn't want to ruin the magic of the set up. She laughed at Kol and Rebekah's reactions; apparently they had never had the joy of experiencing an actual Christmas before, and the childlike glee on their faces did not fit with the cold-blooded original monsters that had been on their way to terrorize Mystic Falls.

There weren't many presents under the tree due mostly to recent unfortunate events that prevented them from really having any time to shop (and they all discovered much to the displeasure of the child that still lived in them that part of growing up meant getting mostly clothes for the holiday), but the presents that were there were most appreciated. Klaus had gotten her an obscene amount of jewelry; five necklaces, four bracelets, and ten different sets of earrings, as well as two plane tickets to London and two tickets to a 'football' game.

And she had managed to secure a copy of his painting at the Hermitage, _Landscape with a Bridge and Fortress_, after wheedling what it was out of Rebekah. She also gave him a note promising a nude sitting which earned her a rather devilish smirk, causing her to blush furiously at the suggestion in his eyes, and she wondered if her gift had been as good of an idea as she thought it was. There was a group present from Klaus that confirmed Caroline's earlier suspicions; it appeared that they were going to Disney as a graduation present, thus explaining the tickets she had received.

And then Damon waltzed in through the door; honestly, they had all assumed that he and Stefan (speak of the devil and he will appear behind his increasingly annoying brother) were not coming back. After all, Connor had been found, and that was the deal that had been made. Why were they back here now, then?

"Merry Christmas! We two poor souls just couldn't resist the chance to see Santa Klaus now could we?" Damon said with his usual cockiness as Stefan face-palmed behind him.

There was a collective eye-roll from the rest of the members of the room, even Kol who Caroline would honestly have suspected of making such a comment, though she supposed he was too caught up in the wonder of his first Christmas to chance ruining it, and a light, threatening growl from Klaus sounded as Caroline laid a hand on his shoulder. "Careful Damon. I'm not a very forgiving person and you keep giving me more and more reasons to want to end your miserable existence."

"Oh, well that doesn't sound like the 'spirit of the holiday'. Cheer up!"

"Damon, you're far too old to be behaving so immaturely."

"Oh, relax Elijah. It's just some harmless teasing. I'm sure old St. Niklaus here could use the reminder to be jolly."

"Why. Are. You. Here?" Klaus ground out between clenched teeth, and Caroline could tell that he was dangerously close to snapping and the only reason he hadn't all ready was because he realized the importance of this holiday to Caroline, as well as his two younger siblings.

Stefan stepped up, fixing Damon with a glare, to which he responded with an incredulous "What?" He scoffed at his brother before turning back to the room. "We just wanted to make sure everyone was okay. We had to get some of our things from the boarding house, and Damon just had to come over to bother you all."

"Well, as you can see, we are more than fine. Feel free to leave now." Caroline spoke, not wanting her favorite holiday to end in bloodshed. Couldn't the boys save it for one day? That's all she wanted. One measly day without any vampire/werewolf/witch/we are all going to die drama. Was that really too much to ask for?

"Oh, come now future Mrs. Klaus. Is that anyway to treat someone that just wants to enjoy Christmas?"

"You have ten seconds to leave my house, or so help me-"

"We came to give you the last white oak stake." Well, that effectively shut up Klaus, and shocked the rest of the room, and explained Damon's attempts to anger Klaus. He pulled it out of his jacket and tossed it to Klaus. "A token of our goodwill towards the original vampires."

"Thank you Damon." Klaus said, genuinely thankful at this turn of events. He hadn't thought this would ever happen; that they would always have to wonder where exactly in the world the stake was and be faced with the possibility that at any time his sibling's lives could be ended as revenge against him. "Stefan." He paused for a moment. "This doesn't make what you tried to do to Caroline all right, or all the plots to kill me. However," he continued at Caroline's glare, "in the spirit of the day, I'm willing to issue a pardon for your actions. On the condition that you apologize to her and genuinely mean it."

"I'm sorry what?" Damon asked; he wasn't exactly the type for apologizing, not even when his life could very likely be at stake.

"Damon!" Stefan spoke before Klaus could threaten either of them again, and then turning to Caroline. "I am truly sorry for the part I played in hurting you Caroline. It was not my choice to make, and I had no right to act as I did."

"Apology accepted. Thank you Stefan." She turned expectedly to Damon.

"Fine. Blondie-"

"Her name Damon." Klaus stated in his calm voice, which signaled to everyone that either Damon was going to get his act together or Klaus would tear him limb from limb.

"Caroline, I'm sorry for what I did to you. When I first came here and when you started seeing Klaus. I was wrong." He spoke very slowly, and they could all tell that it was hard for him to get the words out.

"You were. But I accept your apology nonetheless. Now, can we get back to celebrating Christmas?"

Liz showed up a few hours later for dinner, reminiscent of their Thanksgiving together with the addition of a very uncomfortable looking Damon and Stefan whom Klaus had convinced to stay (Caroline had a feeling he was waiting for them to slip up so that he could hurt them; she decided to let him have his malicious fun). Aside from that, once Liz had gone back to the station, Rebekah had put up mistletoe over the dining room entryway, and all the couples were making out under it quite purposefully. Including Elijah and Elena, though they seemed to be doing it the most spitefully. Caroline mentally cheered her friend on. She had to show the brothers that she had moved on, and show Elijah that she was serious about their relationship, and this seemed like a good way to do it. And maybe it would convince them to move on themselves.

And they could all honestly say that it was the best Christmas they had ever experienced so far.

**A/N: Yay! Merry Christmas, this chapter is my present to all my lovely readers because I love you all so much! **

**Until next time… **


	23. Chapter 22

**Happy New Years! Here's to a better year than 2012, and maybe an actual Klaroline kiss. **

**Okay, so this story is winding to a close. I think I'm going to go up until graduation, so a few more chapters, with the possibility of some extra one-shot chapters. **

**This chapter's really horribly short, but I wanted to put something up for New Years. Next chapter will be longer, I swear.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 22 **

Caroline found that she spent more time with her mother in the next week than she ever had in her life, and, while she enjoyed that luxury while her mother was still alive and with her, she found that she really missed spending time with Klaus and the rest of her extended family. She rarely saw them, and had spent many nights in her old room without him; they were seeing how they handled being apart from each other after so long being together every second, and Caroline was quick to admit that she had trouble sleeping without his presence beside her (Klaus would not admit to it in so many words, but Kol teased him mercilessly none-the-less when he found his older brother sleeping at the kitchen table one morning).

Before Caroline knew it, though, New Years' eve was upon them, and she was finally with her boyfriend once more.

_It was amazing_, she mused_, how much a short period of time could change an individual; how much there was to discover about your self in the grand scheme of things. Things that you hadn't thought you would ever do or believe in. Like falling for the 'villain'; I never thought that I would be able to say that, never thought that I would ever give Nik a chance, or that I would call him such mundane things as 'boyfriend'. _

A part of her couldn't believe that the year was over; so much had happened, so

much had _changed_, for the better she supposed, at least for the most part, that it didn't seem possible that only a year had gone by. She had seen and done things that she would never have imagined being able to do and see. She had gained Klaus, and she could no longer picture herself without him, but in the process of discovering her 'epic love' she had lost Tyler who had been a good friend to her at one time; sometimes she found that she really missed him. Not the crazy him, or even who he had been when they were dating, but the newly discovered werewolf who was her _friend_ when she needed him the most and when he had needed her as well.

"Champagne love?" Klaus asked as he held the flute out to her, breaking her out of her thoughts that were quickly turning to depressing images.

She accepted the drink with a smile, even though they were at a very public function, grateful that he always seemed to know exactly when she needed him; but then again, she supposed, he probably did with their whole 'mind connection' thing. "Of course, thank you."

"What are you thinking about?" Klaus questioned as he leaned against the balcony railing he had found her by.

She had had to escape the crowd of people when he had been swept away to be introduced to everyone, _and their mother_, what with Carol's cruel glare that she had felt on her through the night (they had told her about Tyler; he was her son, and it was only right that she should know about what had happened to him, or so they had thought before they had told her), and all her other friends having either chosen not to attend the party, or had run off sometime during the night, leaving her lonely. "Just how much everything has changed in such a short amount of time. It's unbelievable. Is my whole existence going to be like this?" If anyone would know, it would be him, he had been around for a very long time after all.

"It depends on the year, in all honestly. Though I hope for your sake that not quite as many changes will take place all at once in the coming years."

Caroline thought for a moment before responding with a small smile. "Well, I'd certainly be open to _some _changes."

"Oh?" He asked with a raised brow, "What kinds of changes are we talking about here?"

And she could sense the slight nervousness to his tone, making her roll her eyes at him in exasperation. _Does he really think I'm going to leave him now after everything that we've been through? _She was quick to reassure him that she was not speaking of changes in their relationship. "Mostly a change of scenery without people trying to kill us in the process. And without our family; I love them, but I'd like to have some time just you and me."

"Ah. Well, that can certainly be arranged." He said with a relieved smile as they both heard the crowd inside the ballroom start counting down. "I was thinking Paris for Valentine's Day?"

She smiled at how romantic he was when he tried; and he was making good on his promise to her. _Rome is checked off, and apparently Paris is soon to be added to that. _"I'd love that."

"10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, Happy New Year!" The crowd shouted, and Caroline found herself pulled into a passionate kiss by the only man she ever wanted to be with again. _Definitely better than how I ever dreamed a New Year's kiss could be; he always exceeds my expectations. _

"Happy New Year Caroline." Klaus spoke when he finally pulled away from her tempting lips offering her one of the best and biggest smiles she had ever seen on his face.

"Happy New Year Nik." She lifted her glass and waited for him to do the same before continuing. "Here's to a great year; you and me and the whole world before us."

He clinked his glass against hers. "To a great year; together, forever."

"Forever." She agreed with a nod as they both took sips of their champagne.

"Now, as much as I _love _your townsfolk," she giggled at his sarcastic tone, she knew he was only staying in Mystic Falls because of her, "I would like nothing more than to take you home and rip that dress from your body."

"That could be arranged."

No sooner had the words left her mouth had Caroline finding herself being practically dragged through the party goers, both of them making their excuses to Carol, before speeding off to the mansion.

Caroline found that she rather liked this way of bringing in the New Year. So much so, that she suggested that they make this a tradition.

Klaus agreed with one of his devilish smiles. "I would like nothing better sweetheart."

**A/N: Happy New Year again! More soon, I promise!**


	24. Chapter 23

**Thank you all for your lovely reviews! They always manage to bring a smile to my face.**

**WARNING: This is like incredibly fluff filled, and I fear semi OC, but oh well. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 23**

The month passed quickly for Caroline between school and spending time with Klaus and their extended family, as well as with her mother. They had family dinners, and most of them ended without any threats to Kol's life (the most surprising, and the funniest, had been from Elijah himself when Kol had been… well rather Kol-like and had made a suggestive comment to Elena, much to Bonnie's evident displeasure; Elijah had, being the honorable man that he was, felt the need to protect his girlfriend's virtue; all had been sorted out when it was explained that Kol and Bonnie had gotten into an argument and he was trying to make her jealous enough to want to speak to him again).

Time was not passing quickly for Klaus himself, though; he found that without Caroline there, and without his old pastime of murdering innocents or feeding on anyone and everyone that he came across, there wasn't really a whole lot for him to do aside from painting. Which he did quite a lot of in the first month of the New Year. He _loathed _the modern need for people to go to school; the idea that an institution could possibly give people any idea of what life was about was ludicrous (he was vaguely aware that he was acting like a petulant child, but he did not care. He wanted Caroline to himself for once, and _school_ was coming between them. Had they really endured all the had to be separated by something as foolish as _school_?).

And then he resorted to… more devious tactics to get her to stay and not go to school even though he knew that she wanted to graduate; he was who he was after all, and though he had made major concessions in his life to have Caroline, he still liked to have what he wanted, even if he felt guilty for trying to hinder one of her goals. He wouldn't protest to her going sometimes, but he wanted to stay with him for at least half of the time.

It started with him changing the time on her alarm, hoping that if she thought she was going to be late she wouldn't go at all. That plan was ruined by Rebekah and Kol who made sure, after the first day of Caroline being late (which caused her to threaten to move out until she graduated), to barge in and wake her up (even though they were _both_ living with their respective partners and had no right entering _his _house without his permission, or so he told them anyway).

Then he suggested innocently that they should spend more time at the farm estate (Caroline had seen right through him, but she didn't deem it necessary to let _him _know that for she had devious plans of her own; _I'm really spending __**far **__to much time with him, aren't I?_); he had bought it for them, after all, and, best of all, his siblings had no idea of the location. But he still woke up every morning to find Caroline gone with a note on the counter telling him he would see her later.

His next step was to try and tire her out every night with certain enjoyable pursuits. Apparently, though, she was not as easily defeated as that, nor as easily tired. It was nearly enough to deflate the poor original's considerable ego, but not quite because, well, she seemed to enjoy herself quite a bit; that and she returned home with bags under her eyes, letting him know that she was more tired by his ministrations combined with her schooling than she was willing to let on. Still, she continued to rise and leave him day after day.

He was ready to give up and admit defeat (a very, _very_ new feeling for him, and he did not like it one single bit, thought he would admit to himself that for her he would do anything, even be unselfish), when one morning he woke to find her still sound asleep by his side. He, confused as he was since she was usually long gone by this time, decided to do the noble thing and wake her (mostly so he could escape her wrath; he would never admit it out loud, but he found that he feared her anger after the last verbal thrashing he had received which had included many, _many_ threats including her moving out and no touching until graduation, and he really couldn't have either of those things and retain what little sanity he had left; though he doubted she could go without touching him for long because she was nearly as insatiable as he was).

He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Sweetheart, don't you have to go to school?" He whispered into her ear as she stirred next to him.

She stretched with a yawn and turned to give him a closed-eyed smile. "Nope." Caroline drawled.

"But it's Wednesday; and you haven't missed a day yet." Klaus' confusion at this situation was very evident at this point in his tone of voice, making her smile grow wider, to his further confusion.

"Didn't I tell you? I filed to graduate early. Yesterday was my last official day of high school, and I can still graduate with everyone else."

He was shocked silent for a moment and all coherent thought fled his mind. _Well that little imp! _"And I suppose you've known about this for the past four weeks that you spent torturing me and watching me flounder about?" He asked as he raised himself up with one hand to glance down at her as her eyes finally opened to look at him, a mischievous sparkle to them.

"Yep." She drawled lazily, popping the p at the end.

Had he really just spent all this time trying to get her to not have to leave him every day, and here she had gone and made arrangements for that and all the while making a complete and utter fool of him? He bet Kol and Rebekah had been in on it too. This was unbelievable! "And you're only telling me this now because?"

"Because, you decided to go and be an overbearing brute and change my alarm, and I felt that you needed a lesson. And I couldn't have you thinking that you won that easily. Your ego is big enough as it is." She stated with a glare in his direction even as he was internally reeling from the shock of the sheer brilliancy of what she had done. He was annoyed, really, but he couldn't help but feel proud of her.

He couldn't decide between asking for her forgiveness or if he should try getting a little payback of his own for the torture he had endured at having his plans foiled (he had a dramatic tendency). He decided to go with the forgiveness thing; Elijah had always told him that the three words every woman actually wanted to hear was 'I was wrong'. Now, he had no intention of saying _that_, at least not in so many words. "So if I promise to never do anything like this again, will you forgive me?"

She pretended to think for a moment before answering his question. "I don't know." He scowled at her and opened his mouth to protest, but she placed a finger on his lips, effectively silencing him as she continued speaking. "You see I sort of liked you being in the dark and watching you panic thinking that you were losing. I might want to do this more often. And we pulled a few all-nighters, which I feel was quite enjoyable for both of us; I wouldn't mind doing that again the next time you decide that only you have a right to see me."

"Well, how about we start right now?" He asked in a suggestive tone, deciding to focus on the positive of her statement instead of the part where she tried to correct his actions, his intent very clear. "Anyway, I believe a celebration is in order; you graduated after all."

Much later the couple was still to be found in their bed, but this time still entangled in each other's arms before Klaus decided to finally break the silence that had fallen over them. "Why'd you decide to graduate early anyway?"

Caroline looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Seriously? I missed you too Nik; it was hard, after everything to be away from you for eight hours everyday and _then _to have to share you with our family, no matter how much I love them all. We're vampires, and as much as I would love to pretend that I'm a normal teenager sometimes, I'm really not. I don't _need_ to go to school anymore, and I'd much rather spend time with you in all honesty. I don't want to waste my eternity doing things that I really don't enjoy just to keep up the appearance of being normal. I had all my required classes completed, and I have an excellent GPA. It just made sense to take this step."

This girl, this beautiful, amazing girl, would never cease to amaze him with the depth of her feelings for him. "I can't say that I'm not happy at your decision. I can be extremely selfish, and I can't stand the thought of you being surrounded by hormonal teenagers." She scoffed at his implication; as though she would really ever want someone who wasn't him! He had truly managed to ruin her for any other man. He continued though before she could tell him exactly why his ideas were ludicrous, "What are we going to do with all this extra time together though, love?" This time, there was nothing suggestive to his tone, and she took the opportunity to present to him some ideas that she had had for a while now.

"Well, I do have a few ideas."

She convinced him to teach her some of the vast stores of knowledge he had acquired in his time on earth. Sword fighting for one; it had always been a secret dream of hers to learn to learn how to use that particular weapon, and here was a man who had been _raised _to be a fighter with that very tool. She was good at it, almost too good, and he called foul play when she managed to get his sword away from him. She merely shrugged and called beginner's luck. Klaus got his revenge later that night though once they were in their bed together.

She also managed to persuade him to try to teach her how to draw, an endeavor that ended in disaster and him claiming that while she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, she did not have an artistic bone in her body. So, Caroline moved on to posing for him instead. Not that either of them really ended up minding that.

Caroline then decided that if they were going to be traveling the world together someday, she needed to have more than a rudimentary knowledge of foreign languages. Klaus found that Caroline was a quick study in this field; they started with Italian since they had first gone to Rome together, but she wanted to learn _his_ first language. And so he taught her Old Norse. She loved the way the words rolled off his tongue, how natural they sounded from him. And he loved that she cared so much about every part of him, even a part he had long considered dead. She was bringing the human Niklaus back, though; little by little he could feel the man he had been resurfacing.

"Jeg elsker deg min vakre jente." He whispered under his breath as he looked on at Caroline, her brow furrowed in concentration trying to memorize the words he had just told her, but she still caught the words that he said and her gaze shot up to his, thinking that they were meant for her to learn next.

"What did you say?" She asked, titling her head to the side.

He sighed begrudgingly at being found out before offering her a smile and telling her the meaning of what he had said. "I said that I love you my beautiful girl."

Her eyes lit up; of everything he had taught her, that line had sounded the most beautiful, the most pure. "And how do I say that I love you?"

"Jeg elsker deg." He said with a smile in her direction, and she knew that he was teaching her as much as telling her.

"Jeg elsker deg." _Jeg elsker deg, jeg elsker deg, jeg elsker deg. _Caroline repeated the phrase over and over in her mind; she cared about learning the other words of his original language, but to her this was the single most important thing that he could have taught to her.

They moved on to French after that; they were going to the country in two very short weeks, and Caroline wanted to be able to understand, at least a little bit, what the locals were saying, or what the menus in the restaurants Klaus was bound to take her to would say. She may have enjoyed the "language of love" a little too much after that in the privacy of their bedroom, not that Klaus really complained about it.

She had continued to tease him, though, about the 'great plan to get Caroline to not go to school anymore'; saying that maybe she _wouldn't _go to France with him, or that she would invite his siblings and her friends. He couldn't have that, even if all her statements were in jest he wasn't taking any chances on anyone ruining this particular trip, and so on the morning before Valentine's Day, Caroline woke up to find herself on a plan already thirty thousand miles in the air. She rolled her eyes, but still leaned over the armrest to place a kiss on her original's waiting lips.

"You really thought I wanted them interrupting our romantic week in Paris?"

"I never know what to expect with you love." He stated very matter-of-factly, causing her to roll her eyes once more before she let out a small squeal of excitement.

They were finally, _finally, _going to Paris and nothing would ruin this trip for them.

**A/N: So the "old Norse" that Klaus teaches Caroline is really Norwegian (from google translate), but I figured that would be closest. Anyway, thank you again for your reviews, I love you all! Next chapter will be Valentine's Day in Paris. **

**Until next time…**

**Edit: Updated the Norwegian (thanks MadelineT for pointing that out!).**


	25. Chapter 24

**So, as promised Valentine's Day in Paris which could prove interesting for our the happy couple. This is shorter than I'd like it to be honestly, but I didn't want to lump it in with other stuff so…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries**

**Chapter 24~ Valentine's in Paris**

Paris. The city of love, and Caroline and Klaus had not left the hotel room to be able to see any of it. Though they seemed to be making very good work on the _love _part of it.

Caroline only vaguely remembered how this had occurred to be completely and totally honest (though she wouldn't say for one moment that she would have had it any other way).

They had gotten off the plane, and she had every intent on punishing him a little for his little kidnapping stint by going shopping for hours and then giving him what he so clearly wanted by the constant contact he was keeping with her skin (soft, languid caresses, kisses peppered down her neck in the taxi). But they had gone to the hotel first to drop off their bags, and something about the hotel, which had a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower, and the bed, and just being in Paris had changed her mind.

And led to them still being in the bed ten hours latter, wrapped in each other's arms.

It wasn't that they spent all that time having sex though. They just needed to be close to each other, the intimacy of being skin to skin, knowing that they were there for each other and that they always would be, especially after all that had transpired, and their little spat over her going to school. "You know, I never would have pegged you for the type of person that enjoyed cuddling."

In response he only pulled her closer to him. "I seem to be losing a lot of my old habits for you. But I enjoy holding you, so you have made me see that there are indeed benefits to cuddling." And then he was pushing her up and out of the warm cocoon of his arms.

"What are you doing?" She whined in protest as she tried to crawl back under the covers, but he merely scooped her into his arms and carried her into the bathroom where she was set on the counter.

"We have dinner reservations that we have to get ready for." Klaus stated matter-of-factly, as though she was supposed to know that which she most assuredly did _not_.

She pouted, hoping to convince him that they didn't need to go out in public quite yet. "I'd much rather stay here and we could order room service."

He chuckled at her as he turned the shower on, much to her chagrin. "I think you'll enjoy the restaurant love."

And enjoy the restaurant she did. For several reasons. When they told the story years later Caroline always told it like this. The food and wine were delicious, the company wasn't half bad, the view was phenomenal, and it was one of the best nights of either of their lives; certainly in the top ten of the nights since they had been together, though when pressured they would always say the night he first saved her. The night that started it all, though this one could probably be said to be a close second or third.

On this particular night, though, she didn't suspect a thing at first as to what his real intentions for the evening had been. One minute they were eating and he was telling her all the places he was going to bring her the next day (the Eiffel Tower of course love, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Musee du Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, the Musee Rodin, and any where else you'd like to go) when the waiter came out carrying two glasses of champagne. And Caroline still remained clueless as to what exactly her boyfriend was planning.

Until he got down on one knee, producing a little black ring box from inside of his suit coat. It was like her fairytale dream come true; a proposal on Valentine's Day in Paris? It was the stuff of romance novels that she had scoffed at and always secretly craved; and he knew that. He knew her and what she would want. She gasped softy as she brought a hand to her mouth and felt tears sting her eyes. She hadn't thought it was possible to love him more than she had, and in that moment she was proven wrong.

"Caroline, I love you. More than I ever thought I would ever love anyone. I care about you more than I ever thought possible. And I know what I said about trivial human conventions, and I know that this isn't me, this isn't what I would have done before I met you. But I want you to be mine in name, and I want to be yours. I want you to have as normal as a life as possible, and give your mother these moments. But I want this to. I want to marry you and have everyone know how I feel about you. I want to be your husband, if you'll have me?"

"Of course Nik!" She said softly before leaving her chair and flinging herself into his arms as he rose from the ground. She pressed her lips to his with as much passion as she could muster and he pulled away only to place the ring on her finger and kiss her again to the excited clapping of the other restaurant patrons.

That night they called their families. The newly engaged couple started with Caroline's mom who gushed and started talking about floral arrangements, and dresses, and who would be invited before saying that they could talk about it when they came back to Mystic Falls. Elena squealed in excitement for her friend and made her text pictures of the ring while Elijah congratulated his little brother. Kol teased Klaus for a little while ("I'll never get married Kol!, I believe a certain hybrid said a few centuries ago") while Bonnie reacted in much the same way Elena had. Rebekah went into planner mode much like Liz had while Matt made a "if you hurt her, I'll have to kill you joke", making Caroline roll her eyes. Jeremy and April both offered their heartfelt congratulations. After that was done, the couple fell into bed together talking about what they wanted on their wedding day, and where they would go together. What they would see and do.

But they both knew they would be together for all eternity.

**A/N: This chapter was really hard to write, like you have no idea. But I hope you liked it, and approve of the new state of their relationship! I have two more chapters planned for this story, just to let you all know.**

**Until next time…**


	26. Chapter 25

**So this is the end. I had a lot of fun writing this story, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you for you reviews, following, and putting this story in your favorites. I love you guys so much!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Dairies**

**This chapter is dedicated to canon Kol. I miss you already baby.**

**Epilogue~ 1 year latter**

Klaus and Caroline returned to Mystic Falls, and neither had ever been happier. Caroline had thought that this, normal things like marriage, had been permanently taken from her. And Klaus couldn't believe that in a mere few months, he had found love, mended fences with his family, and managed to make peace with his enemies. It didn't hurt that he gained some new friends along the way either.

He took her to Tokyo for spring break, completing the places he had promised to take her to. And then he promised to take her everywhere else in the world. And when that was done, he said they would do it all over again. And again and again for as long as they were alive.

Matt had been in a car accident shortly after graduation, with injuries similar to Caroline's, and he had chosen to become a vampire. Rebekah couldn't have been happier. She had finally gotten what she always wanted: love. And Caroline, though she knew it was selfish, was glad that she wouldn't lose her friend. Her mother had sat her down and told her that though she loved her, and Klaus, she didn't want to be a vampire. She wanted a natural death.

Jeremy and April had just graduated, and they both wanted to experience life before they made the decision to transition, though Elijah and Elena supplied them with blood should anything happen to either of them. They knew that they wanted to become vampires it was just that they weren't quite ready yet.

They were married in June, just like Caroline had always wanted, a year after her own graduation in Mystic Falls. Rebekah was her maid of honor, and Bonnie, Elena, and April were bridesmaids. Klaus had chosen Elijah to be his best man, with Kol, Matt, and Jeremy also in the wedding party. They were a family now, and they stuck together. In everything. Caroline had been surprised, and happy, when her father's boyfriend Steven had called and asked if she needed him to walk her down the isle, to which she readily agreed.

The couple elected to make their own vows: they both agreed that the traditional vows were too generic and didn't say everything they wanted to say. "Caroline, from the moment I saw you, I was completely captivated. I knew that I wanted you to be in my life. I just didn't know how big of an effect you would have on it. You make me want to be better. And I love you with every fiber of my being. I never want to be without you again, as long as we live." He winked at her on that last part; there were humans in attendance, mostly her family members, and they had to keep that they were vampires under wraps.

"Nik, I knew you were trouble the moment I saw you, and I tried to resist your charm for so long. And I should have just given in to you. You've made me see how valuable I am, and you make me stronger. You've helped me do things, see things, I would have never done without you. You gave me an appreciation for life that I had lost. And I can't imagine going a single day without you in my life. I love you more than I thought it was possible to love another person."

"The couple has also chosen to make a list of promises to each other." The priest intoned, and Klaus took her left hand in his after getting the ring from Elijah, preparing to recite the promises that they had decided on together.

"Caroline, I promise to be there for you when you need me. To be strong when you need me to be. I promise to love you unconditionally. I promise that when we fight, it won't ruin our relationship, and I promise to find a way to make it up to you. I promise to show you the world. I promise to be the best man, the best husband, I can be, and I promise to constantly work to deserve you." He slipped the wedding ring onto her finger, a spot it would never leave.

She took the ring from Rebekah and then took his hand in hers. "Nik, I promise to be there for you when you need me. To be strong when you need me to be. I promise to love you unconditionally. I promise that when we fight, it won't ruin our relationship, and I promise to find a way to make it up to you. I promise to show you the world. I promise to be the best woman, the best wife, I can be, and I promise to constantly work to deserve you." With that, she slipped his ring on, smiling that she now had a physical claim on him that he had had on her for over a year with her engagement ring.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Caroline wrapped her arms around Klaus' neck and he pulled her to him, in their first kiss as husband and wife, the first on many that would go on for the rest of eternity, to the claps of their family and friends.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson!"

She didn't know if she would ever get used to that. But she wanted to. _Mrs. Niklaus Mikaelson has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? _They entered the ballroom in his mansion hand in hand; Rebekah had taken over the planning, and she had decided that a ball would be an appropriate reception ceremony. Not that Caroline minded honestly; this, here in this room, had been the second time he had held her in his arms. And she had opened her heart to him a little bit even then, even if she hadn't wanted to admit it.

She danced with her new brother-in-laws, and laughed at Klaus' expression at hearing what Kol was telling her (a long string of innuendos of what he was saying would come that night, garnering him glares from Klaus and Bonnie), before Steven came to claim her. "You look so beautiful Care-bear. Your father would have been proud; you've caught yourself quite a catch."

"Thanks Steve. He is isn't he?"

"I'm glad you're happy, baby. I know how much your father wanted to be there for you on your wedding day; thank you for letting me stand in."

"Of course, you're family too. I mean, I wish he could have been here, but I'm glad that you filled in for him."

She was passed around the room before finally making it back into her husband's arms. "Enjoying yourself, Mrs. Mikaelson?"

Caroline smirked at the use of her new name; it was definitely growing on her. "I am, how about you Mr. Mikaelson?"

Klaus smiled down at her as they swayed to the music. "Oh yes, definitely. I just married the love of my life."

Her grin broke out wider, but she continued playing along. "Fancy that, I just married the love of _my _life."

"Quite the coincidence, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh yes, two people who married the love of their lives on the same exact day? That just doesn't happen."

"Unless they married each other." His voice had dropped at his words, and he grabbed his lips with hers, and they both chose to ignore the _clicks _of numerous cameras. He pulled away. "What would my wife say?"

"_Nik_!" She growled out in annoyance.

He chuckled at her, before affecting a serious expression. "Are we ever going to tell them sweetheart?"

She knew what he was talking about and beamed up at him, noticing his siblings and her friends looking at them from the corner of her eye. "Maybe after the honeymoon." The newlyweds laughed at the groans that came from their family members. They would just have to be patient for once in their lives.

**2 Weeks Later**

"Spill now!" Caroline had walked into the mansion by herself as Klaus went to park the car only to be practically attacked by one very impatient Rebekah.

"Well, thanks for asking Rebekah. Paris was beautiful as usual. Did you know Nik booked the room we were in when we went and he proposed to me? He's so romantic sometimes."

"Caroline! You two have been keeping us in the dark about something for two months now, and if you don't spill this instant, I will go insane."

"Well, my child can't have a crazy aunt so…" She trailed off with a smile at Rebekah's stunned expression.

Rebekah sputtered, and suddenly the entry way was filled with her family and their voices clamoring for answers from Caroline, all except Bonnie who smirked from her place next to Kol. "I see you told them love."

"Rebekah told me she would go insane if I didn't, Nik. It had to be done."

He sighed, but he was smiling.

"You're _pregnant_? How?" Rebekah asked, a hopeful glint in her eye.

"When we asked the witch to research the blood bond, she continued to dig for answers. Apparently, pregnancy has been achieved from a lengthy time spent together sharing blood combined with certain witch herbs, so we tested the theory." Klaus explained, a smile still on his face as he pulled Caroline's body to his side.

She looked up at him, placing a hand on his chest. "And it worked."

They were engulfed in the arms of a very excited group of vampires after that had new hope. Sure they hadn't gotten the cure, but they could still have what they had wanted when they had been human: a family.

"We have news too." Bonnie announced. "Kol proposed, and I accepted." She held out her left hand, showing her engagement ring, which she had been hiding, waiting for them all to be together to share their news.

"No way, Matt asked me!"

"Elijah asked me!"

Caroline laughed at her crazy family, noticing the look Jeremy was giving April- _looks like another proposal isn't far _off- as Klaus pulled her in for a kiss. They had talked about it, after finding out children were a possibility for them, and it had taken him a while, but he realized that he wasn't Mikael finally. That he wouldn't hurt their children. And she could see that there would probably be more than one Mikaelson baby running around soon enough.

**A/N: So that's the end. I hope you enjoyed it! Enough people requested a baby that I liked the idea, and remembered what I had said about the blood-bond having unforeseen consequences. **

**Thank you all again!**


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